BANGALORE, August 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The 3rd Edition of Art Bengaluru Ended Over the Weekend as a Grand Success, Living up to Expectations of Being Even Bigger and Better Than the First two Editions

South India's only Contemporary Art Festival "Art Bengaluru 2012" drew to a close over the weekend, with a fabulous turn-out for the event finale - The International Art Auction, marking a grand success to the 3rd edition of the much talked about festival.

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The Art do took off to an amazing start with the preview event 'By the Lombok Moonlight' witnessing over 350 people line up at Sublime Galleria to get a sneak peek at the art inspired by jewellery exhibit. The event featured different forms of art on diverse mediums, created by Vijit Pillai.

This happened to be the curtain raiser with the opening night seeing a packed house. Works of art from 17 eminent art galleries across India adorned the corridors of UB City while the piazza at India's first luxury mall, crooned to a scintillating performance by renowned singer Tochi Raina. Over 4,000 people, who could not make it to the venue for the performance, enjoyed the live streaming of the event specially organized on Facebook.

Part of the programme was the Children's Art Competition that was organized over the weekend. Starting out with the intention to imbibe the culture of art amongst kids and provide them with a platform to exhibit their talents, this year's event saw an increased number of participants, compared to the previous years. Like every competition, this one too saw the winners take home customized Art Bengaluru memorabilia.

The following week was interspersed with workshops and talks, all conducted by industry experts, presenting enthusiasts with the opportunity to learn. Despite being scheduled during a working week, the workshops were well attended. What stood out was the talk by internationally acclaimed architect Chritopher Johnstone, who tended to several queries from eager participants. The Jewellery and Cake Art workshops left people asking for more, while the photography workshop was so packed, that it needed an additional day to accommodate the participants. The Dance Workshop too required changes from the original plan, with a shift in venue to make room for the many aspiring dancers.

What better way to end such a magna opus than with a luxury charity auction, featuring the works of legendary artists including M.F. Hussain, Jamini Roy, F.N Souza, Ganesh Pyne amongst other masters. The event saw the crème de la crème of Bangalore and several other art enthusiasts from all over the country, come in great attendance to stake their claim on these rare pieces of art that went under the hammer.

Amidst all the glitz, glamour and celebration, the organizers lived up to their word on Art Bengaluru being an event for the society, by sharing a portion of the auction proceeds with Christel House India, a non-profit organization that helps in the education and empowerment of underprivileged children.

Signing off, Uzma Irfan and Raj Bagaria, Conceptualizers, Art Bengaluru, said, "As curtains come down on Art Bengaluru 2012, it gives us immense pleasure in announcing that this year's edition has achieved a hat-trick of sorts, going by the fabulous turn-out all the events and workshops have received. With this, we can confidently say that Art has finally arrived in Bangalore & is here to stay!"

About Art Bengaluru:

Art Bengaluru is an exclusive event that is designed to showcase various types of art forms including 'Wall Art' (fine art, paintings, illustrations, photographs) and 'Stand-alone Art' (sculpture, installations, product design). Art Bengaluru was first launched in March 2010, and after two successful editions, the 2012 event lived up to its pre-event billing of being bigger and more diverse!

The venue for Art Bengaluru has been the highly-acclaimed, The Collection, UB City which is conveniently located in the heart of cosmopolitan Bangalore. Needless to say, the Tuscan architecture of the Mall complements the art festival by creating an illusion of fluent expanse. Art displayed at this landmark area has always enhanced the aesthetic awareness & created a sensory delight for the viewer.

Primary Media Contact: Urmila Biswas, contact@marchingantsllp.com, 91-9886099736

Secondary Media Contact: Lakshman Babu, contact@marchingantsllp.com, 91-9845706155

SOURCE Art Bengaluru 2012