SAVVY EXHIBITOR: Harsh Goenka (extreme right). MUMBAI, July 20: Harsh Goenka wears his love of art on his sleeve. The art promoter's Worli offices provide ample evidence of this: Atul Dodiya, Akbar Padamsee and Laxman Shreshta are part of an exhaustive display in his personal mini gallery. Having done that, the business tycoon is now set to take his love around.Goenka has hired the Jehangir Art Gallery between August 14 and 23, for a special display of about 100 works of top artists and 25 photographers to commemorate 50 years of India's Independence. The exhibition, titled Freedom of Expression, has been in the planning for two years now. "I felt something needs to be done for the 50 years celebrations," says Goenka. And he thought of calling the exhibition Freedom of expression, for "this is what Independence stands for - the freedom of expression, which was created with democracy", he says.This is the second time that he has taken over the gallery. Two years ago he had organised an exhibition titled Bombay, where 75 artists showed their works. This time he has cut down on the number of artists as the gallery was too crowded last time. Among those exhibiting will be M F Husain, Laxman Shreshta, Manu Parikh and Akbar Padamsee.The works will be on sale and the proceeds will go to the artists. "Unlike with other exhibitions, there will be no cut for the curator," says Goenka.The 50 artists chosen by Goenka were asked to start work about a year ago, for the event. But the addition of photography was a more recent development. "We have never looked at photography before and I thought it would blend well. You create art through your hands and photos through your eyes," he states.He started getting in touch with photographers about six months ago. The addition of photos also makes this event stand out from the other art exhibitions that have taken place this year, such as Reliance's Harmony. There will a mix of photographs depicting all the aspects of India, from the glamorous to the poverty-stricken. Alongside the work of glamour photographers, Gautam Rajadhyaksha, Atul Kasebakar and Sheena Sippy, will be the work of some of India's leading news photographers such as Anthony Azvedo and Mukesh Parpiani.Goenka may be an avid art collector but photography is new to him. "I like good photography but I am not a buff." He first got into art about seven years ago and his first painting was a Husian. "I bought it because it matched my curtains," he admits. Now he is regular art-buyer and visits the Jehangir, which he describes as the "Mecca of Art in India," once a week.
