Starting on February 3 this year is the fourth edition of the Behala Art Fest, a street art festival, in the southern part of Kolkata.

Although a baby compared to one of India’s most established street arts festival – the Kala Ghoda Festival of Mumbai – the Behala Art Fest promises to be as interesting with its wide range of programmes  and cross-cultural presentations.

The festival is open to all.

Initiated by founder-partner Behala Notun Sangha and convened by popular artist Sanatan Dinda, the festival is woven round the central concept titled ‘Unbound’ referring to humankind’s deep-seated urge for ‘mukti’ or liberation from bondage, be it social, political or economic.

One of the key features of the festival are the installation arts, where 18 artists have interpreted the idea of liberation in their own way and given shape to their thoughts through site-specific art works which go beyond conventional mediums and elements.

Behala Art Fest 2023 has also invited artists from Bangladesh, Philippines and Vietnam, thus endowing this festival with a global dimension.

This year, the art festival is dedicated to renowned filmmakers Ritwik Ghatak (1925 – 1976) and Mrinal Sen (1923 – 2018); to celebrate Sen’s birth centenary year, the walls of one of the lanes have been entirely devoted to the man and his works.

Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin (1914 – 1976) is remembered for his outstanding contribution to the social cause of art.

Artist-teachers, Professor Samindranath Majumdar (Kolkata) and Professor Debraj Goswami (Baroda) are curating this festival as moderators while Professor Soumik Nandy Majumdar (Santiniketan) is the conferee of this edition.

Said Sundeep Bhutoria, chairperson of Behala Art Fest, “I have an enduring passion for the arts, having worked closely with artists, both celebrated and aspiring, and promoted their work through my various initiatives. It is a pleasure to be associated with the fourth edition of the Behala Art festival where the theme will be expressed via diverse mediums, and at various locations across the city.”

What: Behala Art Fest 2023, Kolkata
Where: Behala (in the vicinity of number 14 bus stand), south Kolkata
When: February 3 to 5, 2023; 2pm to 10pm