The making of the biennale is all kinds of chaos. A week ago, scaffolding, stacked prints and the trusty measuring tape were all features of preparations for the ongoing fourth edition of the Chennai Photo Biennale (CPB). But today, an elderly woman with wide braids walks straight into VR Mall’s makeshift gallery, which was once a 2,800-square-foot brown, rusty store space, and gazes at the unconventional portraits of Chennai-based photographer Aishwarya Arumbakkam. – Some hair, some braided, some in luscious buns, and some just in a ridiculous mess. She walks away, still curious. Perhaps, her peak seems to be visible now.
Aishwarya is one of the 12 strangely curious, promising Tamil photographers who created the show Venerum Vizhuthugal (translated as Roots touching the sky), which ignited this three-month long engagement with photography. This is accompanied by a collection of artists from around the world in a second show called It’s Time that explores how women respond to their immediate world through photography. To see. To be seen. CPB begins with these two indoor primary performances.
One of the most relevant questions in today’s digital age is, ‘Why photography?’ At a time when every waking moment is documented, willingly or involuntarily, the medium of photography finds itself in the midst of an existential crisis. The sheer volume of photographs that consume one’s life today, and the advent of AI and its interference in art often raises the question: What is the future of photography? The fourth edition of CPB finds itself in this cross section, and follows on from Dayanita Singh’s ongoing exploration of #WhyPhotograph.
“Each edition is a complete experiment that turns the previous edition on its head,” says Varun Gupta, managing trustee of CPB. “The pilot was simply a group of crazy creative people coming together to make a dream come true.” . “Version 2 is when we became adults [curator Pushpamala] Making us rethink what photography is,” recalls Varun. To this day, the stained glass windows of the Senate House commemorate an infant bicentennial playing a game of hide-and-seek. Version 3, on the other hand, was mired in the quagmire of the pandemic – so intellectually deep and so serious”, says Varun.
Farheen Fatima’s series titled Meet Me in the Garden | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
However, this time, while the critical lens is present, the biennale wanted to be hopeful, perhaps removing the depressive veil that often clouds critically acclaimed art, says Varun of the Lalit Kala Akademi. As if in agreement, behind her stands Bengaluru-based photographer Indu Antony’s quirky work Cecilia-ed, which explores phallic spaces with her flamboyant, carefree 75-year-old friend, Cecilia, in sequinned dresses and pointed stilettos. Main character energy’.
Varun says that he too has grown up in these years. “One of the biggest criticisms we received in 2019 was that when we were showcasing the best talent in the world, where was the local talent?” The challenge was to find a show that made sense not only to the audiences here but also to the art world. That’s why this year, the biennale opens with Venerum Vizhuthugal, run by Jayasimha Nageswaran, where photography transcends conventions and linearity. Jaisingh calls it the “Tamil New Wave”. This curation was an attempt to bridge that gap between lived realities and image making, says Jaisingh. He adds, “The need was felt for a show that tells stories from within.”
Vivek Mariyappan’s ‘As Close As It Gets’ Photo Courtesy: Vivek.Mariyappan
While this show invites you to reflect, on the newly-renovated first floor of the Lalit Kala Akademi there is an accomplished group of photographers who, knowingly or unknowingly, perpetuate a moniker that invites ready scorn: ‘Women artist’. “This is 2024, there are so many women who have contributed to a large spectrum of photographic practices and each of them includes visuals,” says Shuchi Kapoor, CPB’s founding trustee and curator. A key idea was to explore the role of placemaking, to understand the spaces where women are taking up space.
Since this edition is entirely based on asking questions, the show itself has emerged from questions. Farheen Fatima’s ‘Meet Me in the Garden’, a series of digital drawings and photographs framed with whimsical, almost dreamlike frames, reflects man’s longing for gardens. Noni Singh’s rare, candid photographs trace the making of a family history colored by Partition.
Bringing Yourself into the Picture by Fast Forward Collective
All this makes up Step 1.
Phase 2 is more crowded and includes photographer Sunil Gupta’s retrospective, Love and Light, curated by Charan Singh, spread across the premises of the Government Museum, Egmore. Additionally, 20 children’s photography projects, curated by the Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation and Children’s Photography Archive, UK, will take over the museum complex with interactive installations. While Thiruvanmiyur MRTS will be a window to some rarely seen images of yesteryear on the sets of Tamil cinema taken from photographer and archivist Lakshmikanthan.
This time, there was an open call which received 1,900 entries from 43 countries. As the biennale continues to grow, what does this mean for Chennai? Varun believes the stir is obvious. Varun believes, “By being present and providing such experiences, CPB has contributed to an art movement that is seen today among the young artists of the city.”
Chennai Photo Biennale is organized in association with The Hindu Made of ChennaiVenerum is on display at Vizhuthugal VR Mall. It’s time. To see. Worth seeing, it is displayed on the first floor of Lalit Kala Academy. Phase 1 of CPB is underway, Phase 2 will start on January 17, 2025. The biennale will close on March 16, 2025. With inputs from Sangeeta Rajan and Sanjana Ganesh
From the series Zugvogel (Migratory Birds)
Parallel performance of step 1
animated drama
Common Noun, a curated generative art exhibit, highlights travel by examining objects as carriers of history and ideas. The 15 participating artists, who are performing for the first time, choose everyday objects like sarees, toys and even the spirit of home, and interpret the evolution in their own way. On Raw Mango’s five screens, each artist is given 50 seconds of screen time, where animations play in an infinite loop before a brief concept note of each artist’s work. Curated by Raw Mango in collaboration with design studio Squadron 14, the show will be on display till December 31.
Framing Margazhi
Drive by Narada Gana Sabha on this route and see the portraits of 45 Carnatic musicians that adorn its grand facade. For example, Amar Ramesh’s paintings depict musicians at iconic Chennai landmarks, such as the Chennai Central Railway Station, to illustrate how music and dance festivals fit into the cultural psyche of the city.
light, salt, water
Photographer, designer and writer Sujata Shankar Kumar explores the essential elements of life in her photography show Light, Salt, Water, displayed at Artworld Sarala’s Art Centre. She says, “My show is about how we take everything that seems fleeting and turn it into something that lasts.” Some shot on traditional film and some digitally, the projects reflect ideas about how we interact with the world around us and how we imagine our place in it. Light, Salt, Water by Sujatha Shankar Kumar will be on display at Artworld Sarala Center for the Arts as a part of the Chennai Photo Biennale till January 12, 2025.
published – December 25, 2024 07:52 PM IST
