kolkata at first glance the art and artefacts that make up folk archive an exhibition that opened at the victoria memorial on wednesday are likely to fetch quizzical looks but once they begin to reveal themselves complete with the accompanying stories and a strong scent of their sources the presentation bursts into life with a vigour and vibrancy that conventional art exhibitions may find hard to match artists alan kane and jeremy deller have collected material that represents a largely unrevealed side of british art its an alternative version of britain its not about things like the royal family and castles but about what people get up to in their regular life says deller it might change your view of britain slightly if you want it changed he added nudging viewers to leave the beaten path to get the entire picture kane began with an apology for being cheeky in bringing a folk exhibition to a country that is famous for its vastly visual culture its like bringing coal to newcastle he quipped having accumulated the material over years the two are now presenting things we liked the most through sections such as love death performances prisons and holidays some of these have been around for centuries but there is also the new its a mix he added where it is not possible to exhibit the real thing photographs and videos have filled the gaps these cultures are not dying but are actually becoming popular because of the internet the exhibition largely reflects working class sensibilities rather than those of the upper and middleclasses there is this class divide in the art world that we want to undermine through folk archive says kane they certainly have with art that is without the veneer of sophistication and finesse and instead is a raw reflection of life as it flows the rough edges contributing to the essence of the experience presented by the british council and victoria memorial hall the exhibition will run till january 7 before moving to delhi