Art on Sunday

An interview with Henk van Putten

The house designed for Henk van Putten and his wife in Petit Ferme looks like an Art Gallery anyway. Now he decided to open his doors for all artists and lovers of contemporary art. On Sundays, at least; hence the name "Art On Sunday" for his new gallery and meeting place.

"Sri Aurobindo and The Mother were both very interested in contemporary art," Van Putten tells us. "And not just in the results, but also in the creative process itself. I think it's a pity that art gets so little attention in the Auroville of today. Such a great vision, such a futuristic city, and so little thought for contemporary art - it’s almost a contradiction!" Thoughtfully, he adds “Today, many think art is for the ‘high-brow’ people only, but that is just not true; art has been an important part of human culture since prehistoric times.”

A lifelong passion

Before they came to Auroville in 2000, Van Putten and his wife Agnus had both been working as full-time artists in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, for decades. They also had an Art Gallery there, which not just exhibited works of art, but became the centre of a group of artists; a place to exchange ideas and reflections. In Auroville, they quickly became part of a small band of artists who met on a regular basis to exchange ideas and cooperate in presenting their work. "Most artists are loners, like me", says Henk, "yet all of them feel the need to be seen, to present the fruits of all the lonely work to a public." And to sell? "Yes, that too, that's the ultimate recognition for the not-yet-enlightened," he says laughingly. "Anyhow, keeping in touch with the world is essential, even, or maybe especially, for an artist. We all know that, but you have to organise it; for most artists it’s not a natural inclination."

After the unexpected death of Agnus last fall, the "Art on Sunday" initiative seemed like a logical continuation of their earlier efforts toward dialogue and cooperation. Henk’s fondest hope is that art, and the creation of art, once again becomes a popular subject in Auroville, right next to meditation, devotion, reading and philosophical discussions. "It will be a gallery, exhibiting recent works of Auroville artists, but also an opportunity for artists and art lovers to meet and talk about art. It’s all in a state of flux; we’ll see what works and what doesn’t; I don’t have a calendar of exhibitions for a year, and don’t plan making one!”

Tribute to Agnus

Only for the opening exhibition, on September 11th from 10am till 5pm, is the name of the exhibiting artist known: it will be a tribute to the artist Agnus Gastmans, Henk’s late wife who brought him into contact with the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo and persuaded him to move to Auroville. The exhibition will show many recent works and a slide-show of her older works, still in The Netherlands. Together they show a multi-faceted artist, who clearly found a new source of inspiration in Auroville. In India, she exhibited her work in Auroville, Mumbai, Puducherry and Chennai. More information on www.agnusgastmans.com

All artists and art lovers are welcome on Sundays; the bright blue of Henk's most recent work, the aptly named "Towering Spire" (it is over 3m high), may serve as a sign for visitors of the gallery.

Hans Mabelis, Art Stable Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands