Armin Linke's Cinema screen, Guiyu, China, 2005
Bringing forth over 50 artists from 13 countries, the second edition of the Chennai Photo Biennale (CPB) will be held from February 22 to March 24, 2019. Pushpamala N. (renowned sculptor and photo performance artist) as the Artistic Director of this edition has chosen &lsquoFauna of Mirrors&rsquo as the theme. An old Chinese myth, it talks about an alternate universe accessible only through mirrors. This ancient fable is juxtaposed with modern photography to create images that describe the world as it is today.
The Chennai Photography Biennale aims to engage as many diverse communities as possible. To make photography more democratic and engaging, exhibitions will be held across the city blending in with the culture and architecture of the areas. Venues include Senate House - the University of Madras, Government Museum, Government College of Fine Arts, Madras Literary Society, MRTS, Cholamandal Artists&rsquo Village and Art Houz Gallery and so on.
Exhibitions are a given, and CPB will also organise talks, film screenings, workshops and residency projects. At the Egmore Museum Theatre, an International Photography Conference will be held on March 16 and 17 which will be open to all.
The Biennale will have international artists supported by Foreign Cultural institutions like the British Council, InKo Centre, Canadian Consulate and Pro-Helvetia Delhi. Anna Fox (UK), Chan Hyo Bae (South Korea), Armin Linke (Germany), Catherine Leutenegger (Switzerland), Shadi Ghadirian (Iran) and Tracey Moffatt (Australia) are a few international artists in attendance. Indian artists and institutions like 3rd Space Lab Creative, National Institute of Fashion Technology Chennai, Nalini Malani, CAMP India, J.H. Thakker, Karthik Subramanian, Kowshik Vasudevan and Srishti School Of Art, Design And Technology are some of the many that will be attending the Biennale.