16 July,2024 06:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Atul Kamble
Workers conduct a maintenance check on a long-distance train stationed at Wadi Bunder.
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No secrets between us
Pablo Picasso, René Magritte, and Damien Hirst will be among some names visiting Mumbai this week. The upcoming International Iconic auction at the arthouse Astaguru on July 19 and 20 will be an opportunity to sneak a peek at some rare works by these 20th century masters. "This is a pioneering moment for the auction house as well as for the art landscape in the city that now counts with a showing of artists like Picasso and [Marc] Chagall, some of the most exceptional names in the selection," shared Larissa Guimaraes, international art specialist with the auction house. The Chagall, she added, "is a rare example of an artwork that encompasses every important aspect of the artist's career - the bucolic town motifs important to his childhood, the bright blue, yellow and green swatches, the mix of mediums and techniques in ink, pencil, gouache - all are in it."
The historic scenes from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup victory parade at Marine Drive on July 4 are now set in stone, or acrylic, in this case. A miniature model complete with more than 1,000 figurines of fans, the victory bus, and the buildings in the area made using 3D printing techniques was revealed by Mohammed Afreedh, a Bengaluru-based architect yesterday. "We usually make miniatures of buildings for our clients but being a cricket fan, I took the opportunity to commemorate the win as a passion project. It took my team of three artists nearly three days to build the model which also includes electrical components like street lights and headlights on the cars," Afreedh told us.
A familiar insect is creating all the buzz in naturalist and nature enthusiast circles in the city. The rare attacus tarpobanis species, aka Sri Lankan atlas moth, native to Southern India and Sri Lanka was spotted along the Tulsi Lake trail in Sanjay National Gandhi National Park (SGNP) at around 11.30 am last Sunday. "The last time we spotted this species was in 2016. What makes the sightings difficult is the fact that these moths have a lifespan of only two days. They do not consume food and survive on the fats stored during their larval stage. The one we spotted had a wingspan of nearly 12 cm and brown and tan patterns on its wings," shared Shubham Hadkar, nature education and extension officer, SGNP. Hadkar calls the sighting both a sign that nature is healing, and a reminder of the importance of timely nature trails in Mumbai. "I'm sure there are many more surprises waiting for us," he told this diarist.
City-based chess community ChessBase India will have all hands-on board this weekend at a Kurla venue as they join the International Chess Federation's (FIDE) attempt to break the world record for the most chess matches played in a day. "Being our first international rated event with FIDE, the event will also act as a great platform for non-ranked rookie players to get their official FIDE rankings," shared Dr Vidhi Karelia, chess instructor, adding that simultaneous events in Bhopal, Hyderabad and other cities around the world will help the federation break the record.
As you read this, Mumbai's young musicians are battling it out for a spot in a new all-star band. "The idea is to pick the best talents and give them exposure at larger events later this year," an organising member at Tenderroots (@tenderrootsindia), a music education platform, revealed. In a move to bridge the cultural gap between the East and the West, the qualified participants will also join a mentorship programme led by Manipur-based musician Jimmy Thang.
