The Hope of Freedom, Fellow Travellers Iceboat and Sky Fold and more..

NEWS

The Hope of Freedom

(Photo documentary at the show)

The Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre, New Delhi presents a photo-documentary at their premises. The occasion is to commemorate the 57th Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the 24th Anniversary of the fall of the  ‘Iron Curtain’. The day that Hungary became a democratic Republic.

The changes in Hungary catalysed the political processes that led to the break-down of the communist systems in the region and the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

The photo documentary will be on view till 1st November 2013.


Iceboat and Sky Fold

(Sky Fold by Neha Choksi)

Project 88, Mumbai presents a solo show of art works by artist Neha Choksi. The show titled, ‘Iceboat and Sky Fold’ is a collection of various art works in different mediums by the artist.

Iceboat is a video of performances while Sky Fold is a series of photographic cyanograms made during the video's production. Neha Choksi approaches the performance as a poetic elucidation not only on the effort to stay afloat despite the inevitability of failure, but also on striving and surrendering, on coping and release, resistance and collapse.

The show is on view till 16th November 2013.

Motherhood show

( Work by Mahesh Anjarlekar at the show)

Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Mumbai presents a group show of three artists, in a show titled, ‘Motherhood’. The show displays works of artist Mahesh Anjarlekar, Sushant Kuweskar and Ravi Vengurlekar. 

The works on display show a mix of subjects explored from landscapes and rural life to portraiture and intense sculptural works. Mahesh Anjarlekar’s mother and child sculptures are of an illuminated intertwined unified form which depicts not just the figures but also the emotion shared. Sushant Kuweskar and Ravi Vengurlekar depict the landscapes which incorporate rural and some urban influences in their works.

The show is on view till 9th October 2013.

Fellow Travellers

(Work at the show)

Kalakriti Art Gallery, Hyderabad presents a solo show by eminent artist Laxman Aelay. The show titled, ‘Fellow Travellers’ is a collection of paintings depicting rural life and featuring people who travel for religious purposes or belong to a nomadic community.

The paintings are rendered in the realistic style and have a limited palette which raises the interest of the viewer without losing focus on the subject at hand. Women and men, some in portraitures styles present themselves in mundane poses and at times staring back at the viewer unflinching in their faith. Musicians playing their instrument of music,women lullabying a child to sleep, a woman tying her hair in a knot, such are the unique angles and perspectives of the works in the show.

The show is on view from 5th October to 15th October 2013.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

The inside story

A photography exhibition at Jamia Millia Islamia brought out the value of family albums in the digital age.

(Student perspective exhibition at MF Hussain gallery in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: Meeta Ahlawat)

A photography exhibition, “Photography As Archive: A Student Perspective”, was organised by AJK Mass Communication Research Centre (AJK MCRC), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI). This exhibition was a part of the Delhi Photo Festival 2013.

Sixteen works by former and present students of Post Graduate Diploma in Still Photography and Visual Communication were displayed at this exhibition .

The exhibition was curated by two Associate Professors of AJK MCRC, Sabeena Gadihoke and Sohail Akbar.

Sabeena said, “These exhibited works by students commented on personal photography by using found photographs or images from their own families and neighbourhood studios. They used readings to explore styles, practices, histories, technologies and cultures of photography. Originally, made as a Power Point presentation these projects had been specially redesigned for this exhibition, keeping the original concepts intact.”

These displayed works said many things about the fascination towards photography in the pre-digital age of photography. Many forms of photography could be seen in these works. There were posed photographs, there was sort of intimate photographs taken by couples through the use of timer in camera and there was trick photography, etc. The photographs took us back to that age from where we could trace back our culture and cultural transformation to this high-tech age of photography. That age and the format of photography are like a cultural heritage.

Each work was described through a small write up about photographs. “Photographs are central to archives whether in libraries, museum, banks, police records family albums. This exhibition showcased a number of personal archives that help open the doors to newer and deeper understanding about the intricate interplay of photography, memory and private life. Personal archives were not just recording of the ‘external words’ but excursions into inner lives, fantasies and the imaging of the self. The key to the photographs were the narratives that surrounded them, ones that can be revealed only by the insider,” noted Sabeena.

Now, things are different. Medium is same but the format of photography has changed. High-tech digital photography has changed the way photographs are taken. Internet and social media have revolutionised the use of photographs.

Mobile memory banks

“Once upon a time, photographic traces never escaped the confines of the family album while today they travel the world through the internet. If memory is an archive we all carry with us, the implicit question that haunts our project asks: what is the relationship between memory and photographs? The answers are many and complex but we can certainly say that photographs are our own little signposts about remembering and forgetting,” observed Sohail.

( Report by Irfan Ahmed for The Hindu)