A hospital starts an art gallery in an unusual initiative.

As art becomes big business, it is not surprising to find art galleries springing up everywhere in Bangalore; but when one finds a gallery that is somewhat different, it is rather intriguing! I met young Veena Narsasetty, an artist and sculptor, who was exhibiting for a show at a gallery called ‘Swasti’. The unusual thing about the gallery is that it is funded and run by Health Care Global, an organisation that runs an oncology hospital in Bangalore.

Health Care Global (HCG) is about five years old, and has seven hospitals all over India. Dr. Bhagya Ajaikumar, wife of the Chairman of the HCG Foundation, decided to start Swasti art gallery as a different initiative in June 2007. "A traditional hospital setting is that of white, sterile walls- sterile in every sense," says Bhagya. The spaces and walls where health professionals, caregivers and patients spend a lot of time, is not an inviting setting. It would be good, Bhagya thought, to change this, and let the therapeutic value of art have its soothing and tranquilising effect.