Artist Abhishek Chaudhary

Abhishek Chaudhary is an experimental, mixed media and collage artist based in New Delhi and he is but a nasty modem router teething on glorified images from the past to shake the present. His work explores the digital world, Internet aesthetics, gender, popular culture and re-contextualizing classical works of art/popular cultural references. His voice is witty, observant and is not scared to be provocative. There is always constant questioning, negotiation and understanding of our world right now.

Abhishek's work was recently featured alongwith other experimental artists at Galleries Lafayette, Paris and is also a part of the Wrong Digital Art Biennale 2013. More of his work, interests and interactions happen on his Tumblr, www.rangeenmakhee.tumblr.com.

Drop by.

Jitish Kallat | The Hour of the Day of the month of the Season

Tomorrow will Disappear | Katputli Colony

Anish Kapoor in Berlin

Kapoor in Berlin is the first comprehensive exhibition of Anish Kapoor in Berlin. The Indian-born British sculptor Anish Kapoor is known for his spectacular sculptures and installations, such as the Cloud Gate in Millennium Park, Chicago. For his exhibition at Martin-Gropius-Bau he uses the whole ground floor of the building, including the atrium. In this video, Anish Kapoor talks about the concept of the show and specific works, such as the huge kinetic installation in the atrium of the Martin-Gropius-Bau. Video by Frantisek Zachoval.

Artist Sarnath Banerjee | Berlin series

Sarnath Banerjee from India paints a very different picture of Berlin for his readers back home. He produces comic strips on life in the German capital for publication in an Indian daily. To him, Berlin is a fascinating metropolis full of contradictions. His intriguing graphic novels tell the story.

Rubberband | Industrial Playground

Founded and designed by Ajay Shah, Industrial Playground aims to dismantle pre-set market concepts and create new inventive products. rather than seeking a novelty value, the products produced by Industrial Playground attempt to seek a visual language that combines materials and processes to arrive at forms that support the idea of normal-ness.

More on: http://industrialplayground.net

Jitish Kallat | Circa

In this video Asialink talk with Jitish Kallat and take a look at his exhibition Circa at The Ian Potter Museum of Art.

"Jitish Kallat: Circa" is Kallat's first solo exhibition in an Australian museum. Following the reflective nature of his recent projects, this exhibition is conceived as an evolving narrative; an experiment of multiple interventions across several spaces within the Ian Potter Museum of Art. During the course of six months from October 2012 to April 2013, some works will appear for a few days, while others will remain on display until the end of the exhibition. Still others await conception when the departure of interventions makes space for them as part of an evolving entry and exit of ideas.

Presented in partnership with Utopia@Asialink. Supported by Australia India Institute, the Keir Foundation and Melbourne Festival.

The exhibition runs from Saturday 13 Oct 2012 to Sunday 7 Apr 2013.

Bombay Talkies | 4 short films

IOU Project | Kavita Parmar

Kavita Parmar is a fashion designer, serial entrepreneur, founder and creative director of the IOU Project. In her talk she stresses the importance of Loving one's Work as a crucial ingredient for an healthy and creative life.

Tentative Collective | Karachi

The 'Tentative Collective' is a nomadic collective of people who share resources to create critical works of art in public places. These works of art aim to excite the public imagination and create new spaces for social engagement. Our projects strive to be collaborative, site sensitive, and inclusive to different strata of society. We value free public space, engage in the reclaiming of what should be collective property, and strive to make something special out of makeshift, tentative and mundane opportunities in everyday life.

Based in Karachi, Pakistan and Albany, New York, the 'Tentative Collective' wants to create conceptually rich experiences to engage with and explore the cities we inhabit.

New leaders can propose and coordinate projects, using the collective as a support network that can be mobilized to get projects executed quickly. All works made as part of the collective will be co-owned by the project leader and the collective. In this way the group will be flexible and open to new ideas and new members to promote an infectious creativity that can cross boundaries.

More Info on: http://tentativecollective.com/

Graphic Novelist | Amruta Patil

Luminous Matter | at Studio X (Jan 25th, 2013)

Dystopia and Urban Imagination  (21st to 25th January 2013), Studio X, Bombay.

Luminous Matter is stunning steampunk stop motion in which two species of luminescent insectoid creatures must find each other and in a dark dystopian world. They scuttle around in the mechanical darkness bearing a unique luminous character that unites them and will enable them to evolve.

“Science Fiction film has always presented us with extraordinary images of our living environments whether traveling to the past, present or future. In this series of film screenings we explore the dialectic between contemporary urbanity and the seemingly disparate or frighteningly real images that these films present in terms of their conceptual representation of urban life. On the last day, there will be a film screening of Luminous Matter along with an interactive session discussing the intersections between the science fiction film genre and the urban condition.”

Cheers 

Andrew. 

andrew@compositus.in

                                          A still from Luminous Matter.

Documenta 13 | Amar Kanwar

The Ska Vengers | album launch

I make my way to Cheri on a very cold Saturday night in Delhi where Ska Vengers is scheduled to launch their very first album. I check my name at the guestlist however the host informs me that they can't seem to find my name on the list. The host at the door seems confused and contacts the manager who comes to main entrance and tries to go through the list again and looks puzzled as well. Suddenly, I see a tall man with a fedora cap and a cream trench coat exiting the gate of Cheri with a beautiful lady. As I try to make an eye contact I recognise Taru Dadlani alias Delhi Sultanate alias one part of Ska Vengers. He instantly greets me with a broad smile and puts my name on the list and suggests me to catch a drink before he meets for a quick interview. I make my way inside Cheri which was lit up in beautiful red halogens...something close to theme and colour of Ska Vengers album. I see a cap placed on the microphone, some reggaeton playing in the background, and few ska music lovers patiently waiting for the gig to start. 

I had obviously arrived early for a Delhi event and gig still had sometime before it could pick up momentum and get the vibe set for the rest of the evening. I get a glass of old monk - the cheapest on the menu at Cheri's beautiful outdoor bar and score a seat to sit down at a small reserved table. I spend time thinking what to ask Delhi Sultanate who had already given a very in-depth interview with Motherland recently. From his early years to influences to struggle, family and performing live at unconventional venues and his Indian / Delhi connection. From that interview I learnt that he is half German and half Indian and now lives and works in Delhi also where his studio is now based. I suddenly decide I shouldn't be interviewing him since I already knew a lot about his music and projects. Instead, we spoke as if we were friends meeting for a drink and some conversations on recent protests at India Gate. Since, I found Taru a bit nervous and also anxious to perform I decided to write this post in a very casual manner and cover the event using the PR's press release. 




Here it goes....... STEFAN KAYE, SKA VENGERS - “This is a special moment for me as well as all my band members, as we launched our debut album. I appreciate Cheri to give us this platform, Cheri is the ideal setting and place we were looking for the launch in Delhi."

New Delhi, 24^th December, 2012:  The much awaited debut LP launch of the Skavengers took place at CHERI in the Capital on Saturday Night. The electrifying evening saw the country’s most energetic 8 piece band known for creating an electrifying atmosphere by setting the place on Fire ‘SKA’ style accompanied by the Reggage Rajah’s and Bass Foundation.

The exclusive Live set and performance by the troupe led by Miss Samara C. on (Vocals) , Delhi Sultanate (Vocals) , Stefan Flexi K on the (Organ/Vocals), Raghav Diggy Dang (Guitar) , Tony 'Bass' Guinard (Bass) , Rie Ona (Saxophone) , Yohei Sato (Trombone) were joined by the new addition to their brass section; the talented Shirīsh Malhotra, who made his debut with the bandon baritone sax saw the music enthusiasts of Delhi sway and dance way to the eclectic mix of Drum and Bass, Jazz, and a touch of Electronic with a Ska styled twist.

The Album launch and Live performance at Cheri kick started the groups India LP Tour as well. They will thereafter go on to Mumbai and Sunburn Festival, Goa with their Debut LP.

Photos: Abhinit 

Are women safe in India? - Inside Story - Al Jazeera English

Are women safe in India? - Inside Story - Al Jazeera English

Mako Textiles | Bengal Muslin

Art Night Thursday in Bombay just got more fun when we started our gallery hopping at ARTISANS  - Centre for ART CRAFT & DESIGN. Not many Bombayites know about this beautiful space tucked in the Kala Ghoda lane. The current show hosted by ARTISANS is an exhibit by Crafts Council of West Bengal and Maku Textiles. It is currently showcasing two distinct woven traditions of Bengal - Jamdanis using home spun Khadi muslin and Maku debuting its collection with Bengal Tangail revivals in natural indigo. 

Shantanu Das graduate from NID, Ahmedabad formed Maku Textiles that promotes Indigo Blue as a colour of sustenance and statement towards a better future. The entire collection has been promoted by using single colour handspun khadi. The Sari's are over dyed in fermented indigo and have been transformed into products like dresses and accessories. Even the tiniest piece of sari waste will be transformed into appropriate products, thus leaving zero waste behind.  

The exhibition continues till November 11th, 2012, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

Nh7 Weekender, Pune | Exclusive Pictures

Bacardi NH7 Weekender kicked off in Pune last night, at a brand new venue. Walking in, you were greeted by the epic Rockness Monster installation, lots of green grass to picnic on, colourful flags and you knew this was going to be a memorable weekend. The first day saw 5000 festival go-ers party hard between The Dewarists Stage, Jack & Jones Other Stage, Eristoff Wolves Den and Pepsi Dub Station. 

NH7 :: The Future featuring Rohan Rajadhyaksha and Ankit Dayal of Spud In The Box Rachel Varghese, Krishna Jhaveri of Goddess Gagged, Aditya Ashok (Ox7gen), Neil Gomes (Tough on Tobacco) on the saxophone and Bradley Tellis of (The Color Compound) on guitars proved why these young ones are definitely going to be musicians to look out for in the future, and included covers by Dave Matthews Band and Jack White.

Day Two of Bacardi NH7 Weekender saw 8500 people, with all 6 stages on, as festival go-ers danced at the Eristoff Wolves Den, moshed at the Bacardi Black Rock Arena, chilled on the grass at The Dewarists Stage and Jack & Jones The Other Stage, jumped around at the Pepsi Dub Station and caught some super music at the Bindass Fully Fantastic Stage. 

Day Three of Bacardi Nh7 Weekender had Jinja Safari and Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 on The Dewarists Stage, Indus Creed and Karnivoolat the Bacardi Black Rock Arena, Michal Menert and Arjun Vagale at Eristoff Wolves Den, Vir Das' Alien Chutney and Bombay Bicycle Club at Jack & Jones The Other Stage, Delhi Sultanate and Million Stylez at Pepsi Dub Station, and Peter Cat Recording Company, Gandu Circus and Heems (Das Racist) at the Bindass Fully Fantastic Stage. 

Motherland Magazine

http://www.motherlandmagazine.com/

Red Earth Comes to Bombay | Design Mela

Timbaktu | Indie film

Directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
30 minutes | 2012

A land where the soil has started to breathe againA village that does not exist on the mapA people who celebrate lifeA no-where, no-where land...

When a small farming community in South India decided to switch from their decades-old practice of chemical agriculture to organic farming, little did they know that they were planting the seeds of a silent revolution. By showcasing the exemplary efforts of farmers of a tiny village in Andhra Pradesh, Timbaktu explores critical issues of food security and sovereignty. At its heart, Timbaktu looks at the relationship that a farmer shares with her land, her seeds and raises vital questions about food, the very essence of human life.