NEW DELHI, Mar 5: Rare photographs of some of India’s cinematic icons loom over the walkways and metro stations of Connaught Place, which is at the heart of a pan-India photo festival, aimed at taking art into public spaces.
The ‘Fete de la photo’ exhibition organised by French Embassy in association with New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has now arrived in Delhi after being shown in cities like Ahmadabad, Mumbai and Chennai and intends to “flood the public space with art and intensify the interaction with the city.”
Life-size photos of cine stars like Amitabh Bacchhan, Tabu Madhuri Dixit and Raj Kapoor among others are featured in an exhibit titled “Film Industry: Then and Now” by photographer Pablo Bartholomew at the Rajiv Chowk Metro station here.
The rooftop of Pallika Parking features a projection of the documentary “When a woman Speaks, Listen!” by Cecile Planti and Gaei Rene.
At the 18th century astronomical observatory of Jantar Mantar, vistors can get a celestial feel with astrophysics photography by Laurent Laveder, Thierry Legault and Ajay Talwar appropiately located amidst the ancient sun dial.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporations (DMRC) and NDMC is also helping in providing and managing spaces to celebrate the Franco Indian collaboration in creative practises to reach out to new audiences focusing on topic like macro photography, a series on Paris, women’s issues, cinema in India and fashion photography among others.
Managing director of Delhi Metro Mangu Singh said metro stations were places frequented by crowds daily. “To showcase the art here is the best possible way to bring art closer to the public,” he said.
“With the guidance and help of the French embassy, we will be able to present them to the public,” NDMC Chairperson Jalaj Srivastava said.
“I look forward to not just CP area which has suddenly become a happening place, but also various parts of the city. There are so many places which have suddenly come alive, all of a sudden Khan Market, subways, Nehru Park etc have grabbed attention. So, it is a beginning of a long chapter for creativity, art and so much of togetherness,” he said.
Over 22 photographers including Xavier Zimbardo, Rohit Chawla, Shome Basu and Amit Mehra are displaying over 200 phototographs in the exhibition.
Veteran photographer Raghu Rai, whose 22 pictures are on display at Central Park emphasises the importance of art in public places in India.
“It’s high time that art must come to people. It is very important. We want the local community to participate. They should participate in getting something out of it, and then it becomes their business to take care of the form,” Rai said.
“Many people feel shy in going to museums. But in the Park they can roam around and get a sense of it,” the photographer said. The photographs in “Raghu Rai in Paris” were taken by Rai “in bulk during a 10-day trip to Paris”
Organisers said they wanted to “democratise photography by taking it out of art galleries, still perceived to be an elitist milieu frequented by a few and into the street for public viewing, making art accessible to all.”
“The difference between India and other countries is that abroad people from all professions turn up from around the corner to take part in the any photography event. Thanks to the digital camera which has modernised the way photography used to be. Indians are gearing up too,” Rai said.
Visitors and passersby took an interest in the pictures exhibited in the open spaces.
“I like the concept because when I came here I was amused to see a new things. Then I wanted to discover more and wanted to get into the history behind the making of the photographs. I think it is a very good initiative,” a visitor said.
While most photographs put up by Raghu Rai were in black and white, other artists chose to play with colour variations in their works.
Xavier Zimbardo, whose works are on display inside CP’s inner circle, chose the theme of Indian festival of Holi.
“Of,course, in many cases, I have had a preference for black and white pictures. Nevertheless, for all of its suggestive and imaginative power, there are moments of immoderate joy and life, which black and white cannot do justice to,” he said.
Photographs by Ajay Talwar in genre of astrophotography gave the viewers a new angle to the art form. Talwar who is serving as the Vice president of Amateur Astronomers Association of Nehru Planetarium, displayed shots which played with the lights to bring the sky alive; and within it- the celestial bodies.
The pictures he said were a result of observing and photographing the skies over India for more than two decades.
Other venues of the exhibition slated to be on till March 31 are Dilli Haat, the IGI Airpot, Khan Market, Regal cinema building, NDMC Convention Centre, Regal Subway and Mohan Singh place traders building. (PTI)
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