R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, FEB 27
A Land of Stories – conceived by the Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation (CPB Foundation) for the school and college students to exhibit the heritage of Tamil Nadu through the lens was organized by the Goethe Institute/Max Mueller Bhavan in association with the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Board (TTDC) at Government Museum in Chennai on Saturday.
Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi inaugurated the exhibition in the presence of Consul General of Federal Republic of Germany Karin Stoll and Dr B Chandra Mohan, Principal Secretary to Government Tourism Culture & Religious Endowments Department & Chairman, TTDC, Director of Tourism
- The exhibition is open for viewing at the Government Museum, Egmore in Chennai between 9.30 am – 5.00 pm (Closed on Fridays) and Government Holidays.
- The seven-week-long expo will remain open till April 17, 2022.
In her inaugural address Kanimozhi said it was through stories that every society or every race took its history and identity to the next generation.
“Every civilisation has its stories which will help people identify themselves. History is a story in a way. Photography is a reflection of our life and emotions. Every picture has a different story and shows a different way of looking at life,” she added.
Mukund Padmanabhan, Trustee of CPB Foundation (https://chennaiphotobiennale.foundation/prism) and former Editor of The Hindu, said studies showed that distilling meaning from images can help improve writing skills and the ability to think critically. “Photography is not about images alone but serve as a vital part to provide a holistic education,” he said.
Karin Stoll, Consul General, The Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany and B Chandramohan, Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments, also spoke.
Executive Director of CPB Foundation N Gayatri said 40 students were taught photo vocabulary and technique and were invited to take pictures of their heritage. The students were from across Tamil Nadu – Tiruchirappalli, Nilgiris, Rameswaram and many other places.
“We always travel somewhere to take pictures but these artists have shown us that our cities and towns are not only picturesque but also rich with heritage, history and nature. While taking a picture, a photographer reveals something about themselves because they are choosing when to shoot and how to frame, making this their unique perspective that show what memories we value and what we want the audience to see. We can all see the same scene and take different pictures because we all think differently,” she said. Creativity and self expression are what we want to nurture from a young age, she added.
The exhibition is open for viewing at the Government Museum, Egmore in Chennai between 9.30 am – 5.00 pm (Closed on Fridays) and Government Holidays. The seven-week-long expo will remain open till April 17, 2022.
