Page 8 - Seniorstoday March 2024 Issue
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for ceaselessly and constantly supporting to the Board of Trustees of the Peabody
her every initiative. “Mummy has always Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts,
urged me to contribute my part to society,” the oldest continually operating museum in
she says with emotion. “Also, she never the US. She continues to be on the advisory
allowed me to feel the lack of a mother after committee.
I lost my own.” Just as art grew to become an abiding
Armed with such love and passion in her life, the plight of India’s
encouragement, after her marriage she elderly became an overarching concern.
began to take a keen interest in the design, With this in mind, she established
research and development of a line of Harmony for Silvers Foundation in 2004.
furnishing and textiles in the family It was, like many of her ideas, far, far ahead
company. Appreciating the synergy of its time. A non-government organisation
between different forms of visual art, formed to enhance the quality of life of
she came upon the idea to showcase the ‘Silvers’ – Harmony’s term for the elderly
harmony between all forms of creativity. – in India, its activities over the years
The result was Harmony Art, an included magazine Harmony – Celebrate
internationally recognised endeavour that Age, a dedicated web portal, an interactive
enabled the artist and art lover to come centre, research division, annual ‘silver
closer to one another; provided a much- awards’ and senior citizens’ runs at the
needed platform for promising artists Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata
to showcase their work and hone their marathons.
latent talents; and brought art into the “When personal experiences and a
public space and consciousness. “Art is a growing understanding of the trials and
universal language; it bridges divides and tribulations of Indian silvers impelled me
renders boundaries meaningless,” she says. to do something constructive to make a
“In the times we live in, such a language is difference, I was walking a lonely road,”
not just welcome, it is essential.” she acknowledges. “Twenty years ago,
In fact, the much-awaited Harmony silver advocacy was not a ‘fashionable’
Art Show, a first-of-its-kind blockbuster cause; although, due in part to our
art event where I helped with the efforts, that perception has changed
curation, showcased the work of close today. What’s more, it was not seen as a
to 2,000 artists, attracting over half- particularly worthy cause. When it came
a-million visitors. Other activities to silver concerns, there was neglect at the
included workshops, residencies and government level, apathy at the community
international collaborations as well as level and disinterest at the media level.
public infrastructure, when Harmony Now, everyone else, like your magazine, is
Art was commissioned to install artworks catching up!”
along the Delhi Airport Metro Express Inevitably, her extensive work with
Line. Notably, in 2008, Harmony Art silvers also made Ambani acutely aware
showcased upcoming Indian artists of the tremendous gaps in the Indian
at Christie’s in London, thus drawing healthcare fabric. That was the genesis
attention to the wealth of talent in of Kokilaben Hospital, India’s most
India. The same year, Ambani was invited advanced quaternary care facility with a
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