Apr 19 2025 to Jul 20 2025 10 a.m.

Price: Rs. 100/- only. Book/Buy

Where

Museum of Art & Photography (MAP)

Kasturba Road, Bengaluru 560001

Event Description

Is identity something fixed, or an ever-evolving narrative woven together by the many threads of our experiences? Initially exhibited as part of the Chennai Photo Biennale 2024-2025, for MAP this is the first ever group exhibition dedicated to contemporary photography and lens-based practices. Vaanyerum Vizhuthugal (translating to “Roots that Reach for the Sky”), curated by Jaisingh Nageswaran, brings together the works of twelve lens-based artists of Tamil origin who push the boundaries of photography and visual story telling. Going against the type casting of a people from the same state and shared heritage, the exhibition explores the diversity of postcolonial Tamil identity and the multifaceted layers of an evolving and politically charged landscape.

Through stories that range from the multiplicity and nuances of cultural intersections within Tamil Nadu, to an intimate tale of loss, kinship, and queer desire, as well as stories that include virtual interactions acting as lifelines that connect across cities, images acting as therapy for childhood traumas, and places as holders of memories and nostalgia, these twelve artists explore a gamut of emotions and narratives through their evocative work.

Vaanyerum Vizhuthugal offers a space to reflect upon the true nature of diversity in a world that often forces us into binaries. The exhibition gives the visitor an opportunity to rediscover the roots that allow them to soar into their own skies and collectively reimagine our past, present and future.

Featured Artists: Aishwarya Arumbakkam (Chennai), Alina Tiphagne (Madurai), Arun Karthick (Coimbatore), Brinda Anantharaman (Chennai), Krithika Sriram (Bengaluru), Osheen Siva (Goa), Priyadarshini Ravichandran (Chennai), Sathish Kumar (Chennai), Shankar Narayanan (Chennai), Sridhar Balasubramaniyam (Coimbatore), Steevez (Chennai), Vivek Mariappan (Chennai)

This exhibition is a project by Goethe-Institut Chennai and Chennai Photo Biennale.