The Angular Festival unites art and music, draws new Chennai crowds

“We are very critical of the way art markets and galleries in Chennai generally function. The bar for entrance is so daunting to a lot of regular everyday people. By clubbing with a music festival, it opens doors to people who wouldn’t otherwise step into a traditional gallery,” says Rhea Fabian, co-curator and creative director.

Among the art gallery, five artists are showing work across painting, sculpture, installation, and film. There’s Arya’s archival-influenced paintings, Poorvaja Rathi’s acrylic canvases, BVS’s installation about growing as an artist, Sasithar’s sculptures about the human condition, and Rhea’s own short film about memory, screened on a CRT television.

Vidyuth Subramanian, a musician as well as the festival producer and curator further takes us through the musical side of it. Stage one goes loud —Komododo’s live electronic and house-inspired set, CDV performing covers of punk legends The Stooges and The Ramones, The Broadway Addicts, and a closing techno set from 47K. Stage two is quieter but no less interesting—Folk Machi, Madladi’s bass-heavy electronic hip-hop experiments, and The Dipshit Ladies, making their debut.