Himachal village to come alive with painted exteriors

 A typical hill village in the picturesque Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh will exhibit painted exteriors with contemporary art by 11 acclaimed artists of international repute this week, an event organiser said on Wednesday.

The artists have made Gunehar village near world-famed paragliding hub Bir their residence for the last three weeks.

The third edition of "not-for-profit" event 'ShopArt ArtShop' has earned fame in creating a world of fantasy for the village residents, host and curator Frank Schlichtmann told IANS.

Occupying a number of old and semi-deserted buildings spread out over the upper part of Gunehar, some 65 km from here, along a 1.6-km long mountain trail, the 11 pan-Indian artists have been meticulously working on their individual art projects since May 15, said Schlichtmann.

The week-long art festival titled Gunehar Art Trail will run from June 8-15.

ShopArt ArtShop was conceptualised and hosted for the first time in 2013 as an open residency and art festival for emerging artists.

The theme of this edition is 'Borderlines', whereby the artists are exploring the complexities of living in a world in which borders and boundaries are being re-imposed, rather than being dismantled, he said. IANS