Jun 17 2022 to Jun 24 2022 11 a.m.

EVENT HAS ENDED

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

The Offset Pitara (trunk) is coming to Bangalore International Centre with a special curation of photobooks and photobook dummies from South Asia, along with a selection of photobooks from the Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council library. The founder, Anshika Varma, will be present until the 20th to take you through some new titles at the library and Toto Funds the Arts will be taking over until the 24th June. The pitara is intended as a proposition in curation to invite readers to observe, question, and participate in the journey undertaken by its presented authors. Our selection of books has been curated with thought and care to cover a range of subjects in storytelling as well as the changes and growth of photography in the book form, offering a diverse visual voice from South Asia. 18th June | Saturday | 6 – 7 pm – In Conversation with Indu Anthony, Anshika Varma and Arun Vijai Mathavan Artist Indu Anthony will be in conversation with Anshika Varma, founder and publisher of the Guftgu book regarding the process of working with independent artists and the curation of the work for the publication. This will be followed by a conversation between Anshika Varma and artist Arun Vijai Mathavan on the form and materiality of his work. Please join us for a collective reading of the book after the talks. The book Guftgu / Guft-gu: / गुफ्तगू / گفتگو has been conceptualised as a curated collection of conversations with photographers from the Global South, focused on the contexts of their practice. Emerging out of dialogues with practitioners when our world seemed restrained physically, the works incorporated in this curation expand on a growing visual language within South Asia and its diaspora. It offers a complex study of a land in transit, triggered by personal responses of photographers to their contemporary climates. The chapters in this edition exist as zines of a deconstructed book, with their form and structure put together keeping the intent of each author in consideration. Through these works, the authors simultaneously refer to, and refute, the social history of their assumed identities. The book has been published by Offset Projects and edited/curated by Anshika Varma. Artists presented in the book include Adira Thekkuveettil, Amarnath Praful, Arko Datto, Arun Vijai Mathavan, Cheryl Mukherjee, Diwas Raja KC, Jaisingh Nageshwaran, Nandita Raman, Nida Mehboob, and Uma Bista. Copies of the Guftgu book will be available on site for purchase. Founded by artist Anshika Varma in 2018, Offset Projects is an initiative based out of New Delhi (India) that hopes to create channels of engagement in photography and book-making through workshops, residencies, artist talks, curated pop-up reading rooms and collaborations in publishing. We believe that storytelling lies at the core of human creative energy, and focus on processes and methodologies that can help in developing unique approaches to narrative structure. Our vision is to create a space for reflective inquiry, meaningful critique, and collective engagement across media