Jodhpur, 4 October.The fourth day of Jodhpur Arts Week, presented by the Public Arts Trust of India, unfolded with a vibrant blend of photography, conversation, film, design, and curatorial insight, engaging audiences in the heart of the Blue City.
The day began with Blue Prints: A Community Photo Walk led by Abhyuday Singh Pawar and Ankit Bishnoi at the historic Mandore Gardens. Participants were invited to rediscover the gardens through their lenses, capturing the delicate interplay of light, the textures of centuries-old cenotaphs, and the quiet stories etched in stone.
Every frame became a meditation on memory and landscape, contributing to a collective tapestry that will later reveal Mandore’s timeless beauty through diverse perspectives.
Adding to the day’s highlights was Rebel without a Pause, an intimate conversation with internationally acclaimed British-Indian artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman in dialogue with Sakshi Mahajan and Emma Sumner. Known for her fearless use of neon, vibrant pop-culture reinterpretations, and exploration of identity, feminism, and diaspora, Burman shared insights into her groundbreaking practice. The conversation reflected her use of art as resistance and her ongoing impact on contemporary culture, with signed copies of her celebrated Tate monograph available for attendees.
The afternoon saw two parallel workshops that expanded creative expression into unexpected forms. At Shree Sumer School, filmmaker Sachin, in collaboration with Docustan and the Rajasthan Film Collective, led a hands-on Documentary Filmmaking Workshop. Blending practical exercises, film screenings, and reflective discussions, the workshop welcomed participants from varied backgrounds to explore storytelling as both observation and interpretation of the world around us.
Simultaneously, at Myla Bagh Jhalra, the Terrible Drawing Club, facilitated by Harshita Sharma, transformed kite-making into an imaginative act of drifting drawings. Encouraging spontaneity and joy, participants created playful, imperfect designs that celebrated art beyond judgment, turning kites into sky-bound canvases filled with curiosity and wonder.
The day concluded with a Curator Walkthrough of the Walled City installations, where the Public Arts Trust of India’s curatorial team guided participants through exhibitions and interventions across multiple venues. Offering behind-the-scenes perspectives on the conceptual and community-driven frameworks, the walkthrough revealed how the festival’s urban and craft-based narratives weave together into an evolving cultural dialogue.