Gallery 118 118 Westbourne Grove W11 2RR London Royaume-Uni
Indian Visions is a dramatic and thought-provoking selection of images by Indian and international photographers curated by Robin Saikia of Gallery 118, who has dedicated the exhibition to his late cousin Ashok Saikia, the distinguished former Joint Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office and himself a keen photographer. Spectacular aerial kite photography by Nicolas Chorier will be shown alongside intimate scenes of working life by Diwan Manna. Vinita Agarwal's studies of life in Rajasthan complement prizewinning images by Carlo Bevilacqua. Ravi Agarwal shows striking studies of environmental issues alongside beautifully textured Mumbai street scenes by Katarina Baliova.
Indian Stills
Brought back from a trip to India, these images have such simple beauty that the eyes of an author known to emerge from the chaos of the visible. The exercise of the portrait exotic situation was often conducted as if we are incredulous at the strength of these images, in their evidence installed but open to our presence. Continuity plastic, which is rich in textile backgrounds and texture of the photograph itself, produces a strong aesthetic continuity. The black and white, the preservation of evidence in support polaroid frame, helping to install the image in a plane graph consistent. But nothing is fixed. Humble and reserved, the characters set up as we address their majesties presence, invite us to share what they secretly organizes world, inscribed in space and time immemorial.
Christian Maccota from Boutographies - Rencontres Photographiques de Montpellier
Indian Stills, Hounorable Mention IPA in 2008 and the American Photography 2008, awarded at SI Photos Savignano Fest 2008 with the HF prize , has already been exhibited at the Biennale di Fotografia di Brescia 2008, in Rome Photography Festival 2009, in the Boutographies - Rencontres photographiques de Montpellier and in the Turin Photo Festival 2009.