Ekalokam Trust for Photography

21/09/2024

In an era of global connectivity and cultural awakening, the question of who truly owns our shared heritage has never been more pertinent. From the hallowed halls of the British Museum to the digital archives of the innovative Museum of Looted Antiquities, a revolution in cultural repatriation is quietly unfolding. This essay takes readers on a journey from a thought-provoking conversation with renowned Indian historian K.N. Panikkar to the cutting-edge efforts of online platforms documenting the return of stolen artifacts. As we explore the complex web of acquisition, smuggling, and repatriation, we uncover not just the stories of priceless objects, but also the evolving narrative of how we perceive and preserve our global cultural legacy. In a world where the lines between preservation and appropriation blur, this exploration challenges us to reconsider the role of museums and the true meaning of cultural stewardship in the 21st century.

Art News Photo Mail online magazine brings out special news about Photography and allied art forms National/International Photography Exhibitions, Technique Product updates Opportunities as well as featured reports and Events Together Let us Discuss, Debate, Define The Art of Photography Nataraja, 1...

10/01/2023

ഫോട്ടോയിലെ മേളക്കാർ – അവരുടെ അകന്ന കാലുകളും വിടർന്ന നെഞ്ചും ഇടുങ്ങിയ ഇടുപ്പും വളഞ്ഞു പൊരുത്തമില്ലാതെയുള്ള നിൽപ്പും- പരസ്പരം സമന്വയിപ്പിക്കാനാകാത്തത് പോലെ കാണപ്പെടുന്നു. വലതുവശത്തുള്ള വയലിനിസ്റ്റ് ഒരു കുള്ളനെ പോലെ ഇരിക്കുന്നു. എന്നാൽ ഇവരുടെ ആരുടേയും ‘വിലക്ഷണതകൾ’ (abnormalities) കാഴ്ചക്കാരിൽ സഹതാപമുളവാക്കും വിധം തീവ്രമാണെന്ന് പറയാനാകില്ല. പക്ഷെ ശാരീരികമായ സാമാന്യമാന്യത ക്ഷയിപ്പിക്കാൻ അവ ഉതകുംതാനും. നമ്മൾ നോക്കുന്നത് പരുക്കനും വിരൂപവും അപരിഷ്കൃതവുമായ ശരീരങ്ങളെയാണ്. തിരുത്താനോ പരിചരിക്കാനോ പറ്റാത്തവണ്ണം അപരിഷ്കൃതമായ ശരീരങ്ങളെ.

മൊഴിമാറ്റം ഫോട്ടോ മെയിൽ മലയാളം പേജിൽ സമകാലിക ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫിയുടെ ചരിത്രം, സൗന്ദര്യശാസ്ത്രം ടെക്നിക്കുകൾ, വിമർശന...

05/01/2023

യാതനയുടെ ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫുകൾ

തോക്കിനും ക്യാമറക്കും മാറിമാറി ഉപയോഗിക്കാവുന്ന ‘ട്രിഗർ’ എന്ന വാക്കു പോലും ചൂണ്ടിക്കാണിക്കുന്നത് ഇവതമ്മിലുള്ള – യാന്ത്രികതയിലേക്ക് ചുരുക്കാൻ കഴിയാത്ത – ചില സാമ്യതകളാണ്. ക്യാമറ കവർന്നെടുക്കുന്ന ചിത്രം തന്നെ ഇരട്ടഹിംസാത്മകത ഉള്ളതാണ്. രണ്ടു ഹിംസയും ദൃഢമാക്കുന്നത് ഒരേ വൈരുധ്യത്തെയാണ്: ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫ് ചെയ്യപ്പെട്ട നിമിഷവും മറ്റു നിമിഷങ്ങളും തമ്മിലുള്ളത്.

മൊഴിമാറ്റം ഫോട്ടോ മെയിൽ മലയാളം പേജിൽ സമകാലിക ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫി അതിന്റെ ചരിത്രം, സൗന്ദര്യശാസ്ത്രം ടെക്നിക്കുകൾ, വി.....

04/01/2023

പോൾ സ്ട്രാൻഡ് - ജോൺ ബെർജർ - ജയ തമ്പിയുടെ വിവർത്തനം

സ്ട്രാൻഡിന്റെ ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫുകൾ സൂചിപ്പിക്കുന്നത് തന്റെ മുന്നിലിരിക്കുന്നവർക്ക് അദ്ദേഹം അവരുടെ ജീവിത കഥ കാണുമെന്ന് വിശ്വാസമുണ്ടായിരുന്നു എന്നതാണ്. ഇക്കാരണവശാൽ തന്നെ ഈ പോർട്രെയ്റ്റുകൾ എല്ലാം ഔപചാരികവും പോസ് ചെയ്തെടുക്കപ്പെട്ടവയാണെങ്കിലും, ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫറിനോ ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫിനോ ഒരു കടമെടുത്ത വേഷത്തിന്റെ മറയുടെ ആവശ്യമില്ല.

മൊഴിമാറ്റം ഫോട്ടോ മെയിൽ മലയാളം പേജിൽ സമകാലിക ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫി അതിന്റെ ചരിത്രം, സൗന്ദര്യശാസ്ത്രം ടെക്നിക്കുകൾ, വി.....

03/01/2023

The rarer the beauty is, the more intense the desire to achieve it. Hariharan does the same but in the opposite way. He offers an improbable view of the female body. Such a level of disfigurement and ugliness in a human body is almost impossible that Hariharan had to create ugliness using technology literally. However, there is a catch. The discourse on aesthetics also speaks about symmetry. There is a belief that only beautiful things are ordered in a symmetric way, and ugliness stems from a lack of symmetry. However, there is a symmetry carefully crafted with the help of digital technology throughout ‘Barbecue Republic’. It is at this juncture that Hariharan’s prints throw up a dilemma. Did he create something beautiful while intending to create extreme ugliness? Would the images in ‘Barbecue Republic’ have triggered the same sort of repulsion if this symmetry was not enforced?

Zoom In PhotoMail constructively and Critically zooms into The life and work of photographers Their art and techniques Contemporary theory Aesthetics, material philosophy and Sociology Reading of Indian Photographer Hariharan Subrahmanian’s Barbeque Republic Exhibited at the Lalit Kala Academy Cal...

03/01/2023

Yet, what makes ‘The Walk to Paradise Garden’ unique is the subject. This image is so down-to-earth, that everyone can relate to it. It has a certain gay and happy mood. It did not have the usual dramatic violence, suffering, and agony that had become his indelible marks (A few other series of Eugene such as the ‘Jazz Loft Project’ and ‘Dream Street Pittsburgh’ were exceptions to the general rule). One need not shudder while looking at ‘The Walk to Paradise Garden’. That’s why it became one of the most acclaimed images shot to date. Edward Steichen concluded his landmark photographic exhibition – titled ‘The Family of Man’ (1955) – at the Museum of Modern Art in New York with this image, skyrocketing its popularity to previously unknown heights.

We don’t get to see the faces of the children. It is a view from the back. In the film, one scene portrays Eugene insisting on his desire to photograph the face of a Minamata victim. He adds, “There is something about the eyes – when we see the eyes, we see truth…” However, faced with people’s reluctance, Eugene seeks and expresses truth elsewhere, and suddenly, the hands start speaking – not only the truth of their suffering but also that of thousands of others whose eyes are robbed of their sight. This is Eugene’s strength – revealing the hidden and hiding the obvious, joy shrouds the pain and pain becomes poetic. ‘The Walk to Paradise Garden’ hides more than it discloses, and in that, it becomes all too revealing.

Panorama Film Review Photo Mail presents A panoramic view of The art of photography’s Interaction and Interrelation with other Art mediums such as literature Architecture, and Other visual media Review of Minamata (2020) biographical drama directed by Andrew Levitas Minamata Film (2020) Poster | L...

01/05/2022

EtP ARTS OUTREACH PROGRAMME AT GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS OF WAYANAD, KERALA

After a long haul caused by the Covid Pandemic, we are slowly re-starting our on-site projects and programmes. ARTS OUTREACH is one of the projects that EtP has been organising since our inception. During normal times, it involved activities including International Interactive Online Workshops, Meet-the-artist events and many more. Due to the continued restrictions placed on interactive sessions, we haven't been able to be fully active - however, something is better than nothing and here is a few snaps from our recent ARTS OUTREACH meet at the Government High School, Kolery, Wayanad, Kerala. Our team interacted with the students and distributed 200 miniature photo-notebooks. An excavator of Images documentary was screened.

28/03/2022

Artist Ganeshbabu Chembayil at work
Wall-mural at EtP's cute little space in Wayanad, Kerala

06/02/2022

According to organisers, the title of the exhibition — Making a Photograph — has been borrowed from celebrated American photographer Ansel Adams’ book of the same name. Adams’ works are known to have deeply influenced Janah into choosing the career path. While Adams is known for his breathtaking images of landscapes, Janah has mostly worked with men and machines. Despite this contrast, the title is apt in a certain way. The exhibition will be focussing on the industrial photographs taken by Janah. These images were captured at the steel plants in Bhilai and Rourkela, coal mines in Bihar, and ports, mills and factories in Bengal. In many of these photographs, the sheer size of metal and machines makes the human figures so small. They all look busy constructing something gigantic. It could be said that while Janah was making his photographs, the nation was busy building up itself. This is why his photographs form a crucial part of our modern history and collective memory. Back to the present, as we sail through the ‘post-truth world’, there are attempts from various quarters to erase certain memories and create new ones that suit the ruling dispensations’ requirements. India, too, is not an exception. There is already a political narrative in the work that aims to show that the country didn’t achieve or create anything until 2014. Janah’s images of India taking baby steps to modernity — more than 70 years ago — will remain a stumbling block to this narrative.

Art News Photo Mail online magazine brings out special news about Photography and allied art forms National/International Photography Exhibitions, Technique Product updates Opportunities as well as featured reports and Events Together Let us Discuss, Debate, Define The Art of Photography Show View:....

26/09/2021