October 2024
October is a Month of Awareness
Artwork of the Month:
Great Indian Fruit Bat, ca. 1777–82, by Bhawani Das
This work is closely related to another image of a bat painted by the well-known artist Bhawani Das, who was trained in Mughal miniature painting and commissioned by Sir Elijah Impey, Chief Justice of Bengal (1774–1782), and his wife, Lady Mary, to make extensive natural history studies at their estate in Calcutta. It was perhaps made by a follower of Bhawani Das who worked in a slightly more naturalistic mode.
This dramatic depiction of a female Fruit Bat, with both its wings outstretched, is by the artist Bhawani Das, originally from Patna, who worked in the Impey atelier in Calcutta in the late eighteenth century. The English inscription in the lower left corner includes the name of the artist in nasta’liq script along with an identification of the bat in Urdu. Bhawani Das has achieved a skillful contrast between the furry body of the bat and its outstretched wings executed with angular precision. The bat has been painted in subtle shades of brown and black, the composition in stark contrast to the plain white background. The body is meticulously detailed with the fur, the veins in its wings and the claws clearly visible. Struck by it's eeriness, Stuart Cary Welch observed in 1978, that it "…looks far too disturbing to be a strict fruitarian" (Welch 1978, p.40).
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Podcast: Friendship, Art, and Much More
The first of its kind, ARISA shot a podcast in Marathi recounting the life-long friendship of Mr Raju Sutar and Mr Sunil Sukthankar. What happens when a contemporary visual artist and curator meets a filmmaker and theatre artist? It makes for a thrilling podcast episode!
Watch two great friends discuss their love for food, cinema, and their friendship. Or listen to two extremely talented artists debate what friendships, conversations and eventually collaborations can do for the art ecosystem. The episode is available on our Spotify and YouTube channel!
Collaboration with Samvedna Care
Old age is feared as much as it is stigmatized. Given that we all grow old, every one of us is at risk of developing a neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s dementia. ARISA collaborated with Samvedna Care, a dementia and geriatric mental health organisation, as a small effort towards destigmatizing geriatric mental health. Septmeber is world Alzheimer’s awareness month and also the focus of our campaign. We handed over our social media to Samvedna every Tuesday and got to hear heartwarming stories from patients and care givers.
We also had the opportunity to shoot a podcast episode titled ‘Dementia 101’ with the co-founder of Samvedna Care, Dr Jayashree Dasgupta. Out on Spotify and YouTube soon!
What's Next?
We are feeling optimistic about October and here is why!
Listening Circle with Aritra
Join us for the much awaited and extremely fun queer event of the month! In an initiative to create more safe spaces to foster queer joy we are delighted to announce a listening circle hosted by Aritra Chatterjee, a RCI licensed clinical psychologist and an ardent gender/sexuality rights advocate. The event will be held online on the 19th of October 4pm onwards and don’t forget to bring your art supplies! Register here to receive an invite as there are limited spots available :)
Take-over Tuesdays
October is going to be novelty at its best. We have a list of collaborators taking over our instagram stories. Each guest more unique than the last one. But one theme ties them all together. Let us know if you can sense the theme. Until then keep an eye out for our stories and if you haven’t followed us yet click on this link here.
Film screening - The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
You can’t think of october and not think of halloween. Our filmscreening this time will give you the creeps without any jumpscare screams. This film is for everyone; be it a movie buff, a comedy lover, or a horror fan. Join us to experience a film in a not-so-typical way. The screening will be held on the 12th of October 6pm onwards at the ARISA office in Baner, Pune. Register here to save a spot!
Kids POV

At ARISA we believe in building an inclusive and safe society for everyone- From children to our senior residents. This event is for kids and the kids inside all of us. And we’ve got the parents covered too! Join us for a fun day out as you watch your kids explore how to connect the body and the mind with the world outside. Followed by snacks and a fun workshop on making toys. Watch out for updates on our social media!