Raghu Rai Collection, Paradoxes, Delhi International Arts Festival and more..

NEWS

Raghu Rai at Gallery Veda

Raghu Rai, one of India's most celebrated photographers will be displaying his works for five months at Gallery Veda, Chennai. He started his profession of photography in the year 1965 and started working as a freelance photographer after a few long stints in a newspaper and a magazine.

He is well known for his books- Raghu Rai's India: Reflections in Colour and Reflections in Black and White, The Sikhs, Calcutta, Khajuraho, Tajmahal, Tibet in Exile, Mother Teresa and more. He is known for his deep research and photographs of the Indian states. He has served three times on the jury of the World Press Photo and twice on the jury of UNESCO's International Photo Contest and has won many awards.

The show is on view till  28th March 2014.

Paradoxes

Jehangir Art Terrace Gallery, Mumbai, presents a unique exhibition of photography works by photography artist Pierre Poulain. The show titled, ‘Paradoxes’ will display a range of photographs taken by Pierre, who started his journey of experimenting with the camera in 1976, driving a taxi in Paris by night to support his passion for photography during the day.

The photographs selected for this exhibition aim to capture a ‘paradoxical tension’, by a contrast of forms, of situations, of light, or of feeling. In photography, the paradox is always dynamic. It appears suddenly in a gaze, in a ray of light which illuminates a background, or in the movement of a person or object which enters the field of the lens.

The show is hosted by New Acropolis which is a global non-profit organization, represented in over fifty countries.The show previews on 13th February 2014, 7:00pm and is on view till 19th February 2014.

Glass Installation Art

Dakshinachitra, Chennai presents a solo show of artist Anjali Srinivasan. The works on display are glass installations. She is a full time artist who has over 15 years of experience in this field. Having completed her basic degree in India, she then moved on to other countries to gain in depth knowledge of the subject. 

A NIFT-ian who wanted to specialise in accessory design, Anjali decided to take a detour to glass as a creative medium with infinite possibilities. It was the beginning of a journey that took her to the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design and later across the globe to various artist residencies. She has also lectured and demonstrated her work/findings at various institutions, before returning to Chennai. She is also the creative director of her studio Chochoma.

The show is on view till 16th February 2014.

Delhi International Arts Festival

Delhi’s much awaited prestigious International Arts festival is back. The iconic festival showcases all art forms from music, dance, theatre, visual arts, films, International performances and traditional arts and crafts from several countries will run in the capital  until the 23rd of February, 2014.

The Union Ministry of Culture is the main collaborator of the 7th Delhi International Arts Festival. Several organisations that come under the Ministry of Culture are organising events in their premises under the canopy of the Festival.The opening saw ethereal and colourful performances by the Manipuri dancers, Egyptian National Dance Troupe, Sri Lankan National Dance Troupe, Kashmiri dances, vibrant music by the Langas & the Manganiars from Rajasthan who performed in fusion with the ‘Kings of Creole’-Hety & Zambo from Columbia.

Literature events include panel, discussions and talks at the Sahitya Akademi. Iranian illumination artistes and craftsmen demonstrated at the National Museum and the Crafts Museum.Classical music lovers can enjoy Dhrupad Festival will be held at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts on the 21st and 22nd February.

DIAF, a platform for artistes, writers, thinkers and others to congregate in Delhi, India’s Capital city to participate in India’s biggest arts Festival.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

It’s raining art in the city

Cholamandal Artists’ Village recently played host to an unusual art mela as part of the ongoing Art Chennai. Akila Kannadasan & Anusha Parthasarathy on the artist-art lover meet

(Artists at art mela)

Thirty-three senior artists, more than 300 paintings and colour-soaked conversations — Art Mela (by Artworld) at Cholamandal Artists’ Village, the first of its kind in the city, had art lovers and artists mingling in the afternoon sun, over drinks, vadais and samosas. The congregation was part of the ongoing festival, Art Chennai. And what’s more anyone attending the mela could pick up fresh works by masters such as C. Douglas, M. Senathipathi, P. Gopinath, Viswanadhan and G. Raman for just Rs. 500!

(At Art Chennai (by Artworld) at Cholamandal Artists’ Village)

The paint on the brush of the artist who painted the big-eyed dancer had not dried yet, but the visitors were privileged to purchase it straight off the drawing board. By the end of the hour, more than 300 pieces of art were sold. The mela was aimed at taking artists closer to people. “Art Mela is the first of its kind in this city,” said Biswajit Banerjee of Artworld. “The idea is to take the art out of the gallery and initiate a dialogue between artists and art lovers.”

(At Art Chennai (by Artworld) at Cholamandal Artists’ Village)

“This is a happy get-together,” said artist Ramachandran. “I really like this approach to art.” For Rm. Palaniappan, the regional secretary of Lalit Kala Akademi, “when the artists and their admirers connect in spirit it leads to a perfect ambience for creativity.” Meanwhile G. Raman was seen assuring one of his admirers who could not buy his work, as they were all sold out, to paint one for her by the end of the day. “To get 30 artists under one roof is difficult. So it feels wonderful,” he exclaimed.

(At Art Chennai (by Artworld) at Cholamandal Artists’ Village)

Through most of the morning, the visitors at Art Mela peered over the shoulders of the artists as they painted. And it was not just the big names who drew in the crowds, budding artists such as Inbavalli and Mokshitha too came in for appreciation. According to artist Muralidharan, “Such initiatives expose a new set of people to art apart from the regular gallery goers. Nothing can equal a live show. We want to connect with people. And this is the best way to do it.”

(At Art Chennai (by Artworld) at Cholamandal Artists’ Village)

Said Asma Menon, adding pink acrylic to her canvas, “It’s similar to an atelier and the concept of a walk-in mela is fascinating. Unlike a gallery, anyone can walk in here without feeling intimidated. We have even had children from the nearby slums come and watch us work.” As the day progressed, the artists slowly began to move to the lunch hall after a morning of hard work. And you could see visitors holding their newly-bought paintings close to their chests. As you left, the smell of fresh paint and colourful strokes and conversations lingered.

(Report by Akila Kannadasananusha Parthasarathy for The Hindu)