Matribhumi Samachar English
Chennai, February 2025 – InKo, the Indo-Korean Cultural Centre,is delighted to present Limits of Change, an extraordinary immersive art and storytelling experience that unveils an untold chapter of Indo-Korean history. This evocative blend of art installation and theatrical performance transforms Lalit Kala Academy into a living museum from 8th to 20th February 2025. It is an Invited project in association with Chennai Photo Biennale Edition 4 and with the support from HYUNDAI MOBIS.
Curated and conceptualized by celebrated visual artist Parvathi Nayar and playwright Nayantara Nayar, Limits of Change blurs the lines between fiction and history, exploring themes of identity, home, violence, and forgiveness. Audiences will embark on a guided journey through nine interconnected spaces, each featuring objects, installations, videos, artworks, and archival material that collectively unfold a poignant Indo-Korean narrative.
At the heart of Limits of Change lies a powerful story that bridges personal and geopolitical realities. The narrative follows the life of General N, who served as part of the Custodian Force India (CFI) dispatched to Korea after the Korean War Armistice in 1953. His journey, intertwined with his daughter, Curator P, forms the emotional core of the performance.
Through her father’s archives—letters, journals, and photographs—Curator P unravels hidden layers of history while grappling with her own questions of identity and forgiveness. The narrative juxtaposes the personal loss of an absent father with the broader struggles of displaced prisoners of war (POWs), raising thought-provoking questions about home, duty, and reconciliation.
Set in the fictional Story Museum, this unique performance unfolds across nine rooms, with each space offering an experiential dive into the intertwined histories of India and Korea. Guided by a narrator, groups of 25–28 visitors will explore these spaces where visual art, storytelling, and archival elements converge to create a visceral journey.
Highlights include:
- Infographic Walls and Timeline Installations offering historical context.
- A visually rich bedtime story video, Miss P and the Princess of Ai, blending myth with history.
- Artifacts and installations inspired by Tamil-Korean legends such as the Princess of Ay who travelled to Korea centuries ago.
- A thematic use of the turtle motif, symbolizing connection and reconciliation.
This project is a testament to the enduring cultural and historical ties between India and Korea. The performances emphasize the pivotal role played by Indian soldiers of the Custodian Force India (CFI) in post-war Korea. It delves into their journey of safeguarding displaced POWs, navigating cultural and emotional complexities, and returning home with a transformed sense of self.
“As the Indo-Korean Cultural Centre, committed to a sustaining a meaningful intercultural dialogue between India and Korea, we wholeheartedly supported this project which mixes the personal and the geo-political realities in a manner that unveils a vital but forgotten aspect of Indo-Korean history. The connection with Chennai, the unmistakable autobiographical elements; the creative fictional layers complemented with photo, video, object, artwork and storytelling provide a compelling framework within which histories unfold, memories are shared and the past and present meld to create what will hopefully be an unforgettable experience.” says Dr Rathi Jafer, Director, InKo Centre.
“Limits of Change is not just an exhibition; it is an immersive, performative exploration of how history shapes identity. It asks profound questions: What does it mean to call a place ‘home’? How do we reconcile personal loss with historical trauma? And how can art act as a conduit for understanding, healing, and hope?” adds Artist Parvathi Nayar.
Yog Japee, Director of Limits of Change, shares, “This project is a mosaic of narratives that invites audiences to discover hidden histories and forge personal connections through collective memories. It is an artistic exploration of the human spirit and its ability to forgive, heal, care and hope.”
This limited engagement offers audiences an opportunity to connect deeply with a story that is as relevant today as it was seven decades ago.
Details at a Glance:
- What: Limits of Change, presented by INKO
- Where: Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai
- When: 8th–20th February 2025
- Performance Timings: 11:30 AM, 3:30 PM, and 6:30 PM daily
- For Registrations – Call 8072598838, 9840013017 or click the below link
https://www.townscript.com/e/inko-centre-limits-of-change-312401
Join us to uncover a hidden Indo-Korean legacy brought to life through art and storytelling.
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Credits:
Commissioned and presented by InKo Centre
Concept and Script by Parvathi Nayar and Nayantara Nayar
Directed by Yog Japee
Art Curation and Texts by Parvathi Nayar
Artworks and Art Installation by Students and Faculty of Stella Maris College, Dot School of Design and American International School and teams from The Architecture Story; The Hashtag # Collective; Forms and Gears;
Graphic Design by Sindhura Vannamamalai Sowmithri
Cinematography by CP Satyajit
Voice over for videos by Yog Japee
Video Editing by Peer Varma
Lighting Design by Jeonghee Kang
Paper Sculpting by Roopika Sood
Music by Sanare
Text Editing by Studio RDA
Project In Association with Chennai Photo Biennale IV
About InKo Centre
To introduce InKo Centre briefly- InKo Centre, the Indo-Korean Cultural & Information Centre, was set up in May 2006 with the specific aim to extend the intercultural dialogue between India and South Korea. Inko Centre was opened by HE Ambassador Choi Jung-il, Former Ambassador from the Republic of Korea to India. The Centre commenced full-fledged operations in November 2006 with a cohesive programme that covers language studies; welness programmes, performing and visual arts programmes and information provision. InKo Centre is a registered, non-profit society supported primarily by TVS Motor Company Limited and Hyundai Motor India Limited; the Korean Association in Chennai and a host of Indian and Korean companies based in Chennai. The Centre works in close co-operation with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, New Delhi, The Korean Cultural Centre. New Delhi and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea, Chennai. Mr Venu Srinivasan who is the Chairman of Inko Centre has been highly feted by the Government of Korea with the most recent titles being Honorary Citizen of Busan and Goodwill Envoy for Public Diplomacy of the Republic of Korea. The Indo – Korean Cultural and Information Centre is a Registered Society.
In 2015, InKo Centre re-located to new premises, with enhanced facilities. The facilities at the new premises in Chennai, include a cafe, a gallery, a craft shop and a studio, providing an organic, integrated approach that reinforces our belief that cultural exchange is primarily a nuanced, sensorial experience.
Through the access points of language, culture and information, we have consistently presented a cohesive programme that drawing on the rich traditions of both countries, showcases not just the local and the national characteristics of each country but also the global dimensions of such exchange. Since 2006, we have presented whole series of programmes covering the gamut of language studies, performing and visual arts as well wellness programmes such as yoga, taekwondo and calligraphy. Our programmes and services aim to link key Indian and Korean artists and organisations in a meaningful and sustainable manner.
Apart from events presented at our Centre in Chennai, Inko Centre also periodically presents large scale events at external venues, across India, in collaboration with relevant partners in India and with support from partner organisations in Korea. These events cover the performing arts- theatre, film, music, dance as well as the visual arts- painting, sculpture, ceramics, craft etc. All such events contribute to our stated objective of examining the local as well as the global characteristics that underpin and deepen the intercultural dialogue between India and South Korea.
Cast and crew:
Parvathi Nayar
Parvathi Nayar, is a Chennai-based multidisciplinary artist and writer, known for her complex drawing practices, installations, mixed media work and video art. Her work emphasises sustainability, delving into climate change and ecological issues; water, in all its aspects, is a consistent theme.
Notable solo exhibitions include “Atlas of Re-Imaginings” and “Drawing is a Verb” while her installations, such as “Dreamcatcher”, “Ocean’s Breath”, “Chicken Run,” and “WAVE” engage with public spaces and diverse mediums. Parvathi curated the award-winning permanent show The Living Ocean, at the Dakshinachitra Museum (2024). She is a founder-member of The Hashtag#Collective.
Parvathi’s global presence in biennales including the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and Chennai Photo Biennale3 and prestigious group shows; her films such as “Seaspeaker” and “By the Mouth of the River’ being featured in international festivals; and her contributions as a writer, underscore her multifaceted artistic career.
She completed her Masters in Fine Art from Central St Martins, London, on a Chevening scholarship, and has received acclaim for her impactful TEDx talks.
For more informations:
https://www.facebook.com/parvathinayarart
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parvathi_Nayar
Instagram: artistparvathinayar Twitter: @NayarParvathi
Nayantara Nayar
Nayantara Nayar is a playwright, researcher, and storyteller from Chennai, India. Her research interests include memory, urban spaces, and ecological crises. She is a CHASE funded PhD researcher at University of East Anglia where she studies water crisis and the potential of theatre practices to foster different water-related imaginaries. As a part of her research, she is studying three different playscripts by Indian authors written in the last fifty years, and also writing three plays that are in response to the texts she is studying and the larger body of research she is undertaking.
Her body of work as a playwright includes, the visual art + performance project Limits of Change (Co-Creator, Chennai Photo Biennale, 2024-25); Lost Waters (Green Theatre Revolution, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2024); Curfew (Rage Theatre and Lyric Theatre Belfast, 2022-23); The Sometimes River (Parag, 2023); Chicken Run (Co-Creator, Chennai Photo Biennale, 2021-22); and The Body (New Writing Festival, Rage Theatre and Enacte Theatre).
Yog Japee
Yog Japee is an actor, director, educator, applied arts practitioner and a Chevening Clore Fellow. His focuses on public engagement in the arts for social change. As an arts practitioner with over 20 years of experience, he has worked towards integrating arts interventions into education, health & development programmes.
Yog is particularly passionate about bringing together diverse art forms to tell stories. He believes that theatre and storytelling is universal, and strives towards enacting performances in non-traditional, non-proscenium spaces.
He loves finding narratives in stories, He believes that, “every story is a resting-face-reticent, Onion!“.
He welcomes you to make your own story and narrative about that.
All the Installations are supported by Stella Maris College, DOT School of Design, The American International School Chennai (AISC), The Hashtag #Collective, The Architecture Story and Forms and Gears
For Further details on the project and entire cast/crew of the project please visit:
https://www.inkocentre.org/limitsofchange.html
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