Chennai Photo Biennale 2024, Going To Start From 20 Dec 2024

The Chennai Photo Biennale is back with the fourth edition, featuring a host of exhibitions and programs from 20 Dec 2024 till 16 March 2025.

Theme:

The fourth edition of the Chennai Photo Biennale poses the question, ‘Why Photograph?’ and unfolds a set of inquiries into our relationship with photography. In this era of visual saturation, CPB4 brings together slower approaches to image making. Read the full curatorial note here.

Biennale Highlights:

The CPB4 is set to open in two phases:

Phase 1: 20 Dec 2024

Phase 2: 17 Jan 2025

Biennale closes on 16 March 2025.

Both phases will include a set of primary shows of the CPB Foundation as well as the CPB Invitation shows that are pre-existing works and projects invited to be part of the CPB4.

Phase 1: Exhibitions opening on December 20, 2024

CPB Primary Shows – Dec 2024

• “Roots that Reach for the Sky” curated by Jaisingh Nageswaran, featuring a diverse group of artists including Alina Tiphagne, Aishwarya Arumbakkam, Arun Karthik, Brinda Anantharaman, Krithika Sriram, Osheen Siva, Priyadarshini Ravichandran, Sathish Kumar, Shankar Raja Narayana, Sridhar Balasubramaniam, Steevez Rodriguez and Vivek Mariappan. The show is supported by the Goethe-Institut.
• Contemporary practices by women in photography and lens based art

showcasing works by artists from India and around the world including Fast

Forward Collective (UK), Hannah Cooke (Germany), Nony Singh (India), Indu Antony (India), Offset Projects (India), Ann Griffin (Switzerland), Farheen Fatima (India) among others at the Lalit Kala Akademi, supported by the Goethe-Institut Chennai, British Council, Pro Helvetia and other cultural partners.

CPB Invitation shows – Dec 2024

• “Madras, Margazhi & Music” featuring portraits by Amar Ramesh at Narada Gana Sabha.

Phase 2: Exhibitions opening on January 17, 2025

 CPB Primary Shows- Jan 2025

• “Love and Light: A Site of Infinite Possibilities”, a retrospective of Sunil Gupta curated by Gupta-Singh Archives at the Egmore Museum, supported by Tarun & Tarana Sawhney, Vadehra Art Gallery and Jaiveer Johal.
• “What Makes Me Click!” – Celebrating & spotlighting 20 photography projects by children globally showcased at the Government Museum, Egmore curated by CPB Prism and the Children’s Photography Archive, UK, with support from Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies featuring photography by children from India, Cambodia, Singapore, Gaza, Turkey, New York, Guatemala, Greece, UK and South Africa. Participating institutions include the Bronx Documentary Centre(New York), Girl Museum (London), Museum of Photography Thessaloniki, Art Reach India (New Delhi), Objectifs (SIngapore) and more. The exhibition will be curated as an interactive installation along the campus of the museum campus with photographs as well as engaging playful activities for all ages including a pinhole camera and slide projections.
• Open Call Exhibition featuring 40 photographers at a public venue in Chennai. Entries were received from across 30 countries. The exhibition will showcase single images and photo essays selected by an established international jury including Alessia Glaviano, Brendan McCleary, Gwen Lee, Joseph Radhik, Julie Héraut, Michael Weir, Smita Sharma,, Umah Jacob, and Varun Gupta
• Darkroom Residency Showcase, showcasing works by artists from India and UK – Ārun(Chennai), Holly Birtles(UK) and Soham Joshi(UK). The show is supported by the British Council in partnership with PhotoWorks UK.
• CPB Graduate Students’ Showcase

CPB Invitation Shows – Jan 2025

• ‘Photography Strictly Prohibited’ – a retrospective of Navroze Contractor at Folly, Amethyst Chennai
• ‘Postcards from Home’ by Manisha Gera Baswani at Raw Mango Store, Chennai
• LM Sen Archive by Emami Art at Alliance Française Madras Gallery, Chennai
• ‘Poetics of Space’ by Sebastian Cortez at Folly, Amethyst CPB Invitation Shows – Feb 2025
• ‘Indianisms’ by Prashant Panjiar
• ‘Limits of Change’ by Parvathi Nayar and Nayantara Nayar at Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai

CPB Invitation Shows – Mar 2025

• So far and Hereafter by Nandini Valli Muthiah at Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai

Key Program Weekends:

Public openings, talks, exhibition tours, workshops and more.

December 20-22, 2024

January 17-19, 2025 Feb & Mar : TBA

All updates will be shared on chennaiphotobiennale.foundation website.

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