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Revitalising the Bell Metal Craft with Contemporary Design

OCO Residency Programme 2024

OCO Residency

The curatorial vision of this programme aims to foster an inclusive cultural landscape that recognizes and celebrates the artistic value of craft. This edition focuses on the bell metal workers of Balakati near Bhubaneswar, a community with a rich heritage of metalworking that is deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of Odisha. 

Filigree

A collaboration between

OCO Residency 2024 started on

8th August

MGM Foundation  

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Residents list:

Ritaban Ghosh, Kirti Kumari, and Disharee Mathur

Bhubaneswar Experiment Art And Design Studio

Bell Metal Art

Vision

This project aims to blur the binary between art and craft, integrating craft practices into pedagogy, exhibition, and cultural history writings.

Dhokra (left) and Bell Metal craft (right) in a stark contrast

bell metal work
Art
Bell metal Work

Our Story

Odisha Craft Odyssey (OCO) is a collaborative programme between MGM Foundation and BEADS. The project envisions creating an inclusive cultural platform that highlights the craft practices of Odisha, challenging the conventional hierarchies between fine arts and crafts in South Asia. 

Odisha Craft Odyssey

Tribal painting of Dongria Kondh from Niyamgiri

Art and Craft

The Bell Metal Craft of Odisha

Metal crafts in Odisha boast a rich history, flourishing since the Ganga Dynasty in the 11th century and continuously developing to this day. The village of Balakati in Khordha district stands out for its traditional production of brass, bell-metal utensils, and temple articles. This craft is said to have truly taken root around 1400 AD.

Brass and bell metal, considered “pure” metals, are the primary materials for these utensils. Stepping into Balakati, you’ll be greeted by the rhythmic sounds of hammering and the focused energy of craftspeople.

art residency

Tathya

Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida inaugurated the first edition of the much-awaited Odisha Craft Odyssey (OCO) Exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi

Culture

Orissa POST

Curtains down on Odisha Craft Odyssey expo

Culture

OCO Editorial

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