The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is venue to a sale-cum-exhibition of the works of art donated by modern and contemporary artists from across the country to help victims of the devastating Kerala floods. Art for Kerala Flood Disaster 2018 is an initiative by Indian artists, and the entire proceeds from the sale would go to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.

The wide-ranging body of works includes drawings, paintings, photography and sketches.

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Nearly 300 artists have put up their works in the show, according to Gargi Seth, Curator and Director, Indian Art Circle. Some of the prominent among them are Jatin Das, Anjolie Ela Menon, Arpana Caur, Shuvaprasanna, Rameshwar Broota, Seema Kohli, Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, Subodh Gupta, KS Radhakrishnan, Vasundhara Tewari, Rini Dhumal, Vivan Sundaram, and Asit Patnaik.

According to the organisers, the drawings, paintings, photographs and sketches on display are all “affordable works of contemporary art”, with some of the works available for as low as Rs 2,000.

Seth says the total worth of the work displayed at the exhibition is around Rs 1 crore, and hopes art connoisseurs of Delhi would turn up in large numbers to make the effort a success.

“Let’s hope people of Delhi come forward and show their side of large heartedness. What can be a better idea than to donate, save taxes and get an artwork in return!! I noticed that the buyers were not really looking for affordability,” she told thestatesman.com.

It was celebrated artist Jatin Das who came up with the idea to hold such an exhibition.

“Jatin Da was the one who initiated and spearheaded the idea. I only helped extend the reach of the exhibition, to artists, media and buyers. Soon, the confirmation of artists and collection of artworks gained much momentum, and the DG of NGMA, Adwait Gadanayak, adopted the exhibition – hook, line and sinker! Jatin was to the point when he called out to the artists’ community,” said Seth.

The three-day exhibition started on September 21 and will continue till September 23.

In a statement, NGMA said: “The exhibition reflecting the works of art donated by the artists is a great step towards the aspect of oneness in difficult times. NGMA thanks all the artists who have generously donated their works of art for the cause and wishes that collectors also come forward in great numbers so that the aid can reach to maximum people in Kerala through the Kerala Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.”