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Arty Thursday: ‘Representations of Power’

SA artist Maximo Gonzales will discuss the ethos of his work and the values that shape it, at Fort today.

This one’s for art students and art lovers. Today, November 14, 2013, Jnanapravaha will play host to artist South American Maximo Gonzales (in picture above) as he talks about his work and his philosophies in a lecture titled ‘Representations of Power’.

representations of powerMaximo Gonzalez’s elaborate installations are rooted in craft; however the manifest issues pertain to political process, social values and economy. His projects address ‘material’ at a symbolic level, playing with the origin and the context where such materials are normally found, transforming them, often through poetic language games to slant their symbolic impact. Examples include tapestries made out of the discarded margins of Mexican pesos, massive archways made of inflatable globes, nets made from school-kids’ notebooks, and military costumes made of sequins and dried chillies. His broad oeuvre is always rooted in social concerns and ethical paradigms of the globalised world.

Born in Argentina and living in Mexico City for over a decade, Maximo Gonzales has exhibited around the world in a range institutions. His solo shows include ‘Magnificent Warning at the Rubin Centre’, ‘El Paso’ (Texas), Playful at CAFAM, Los Angeles and Walk among worlds at the Fowler Museum, UCLA and Casa America, Madrid.

Entry is free but seating is limited so make sure you reach early. Head to Jnanapravaha, Queen’s Mansion, 3rd floor, Ghanshyam Talwatkar Marg, beside Cathedral Middle School, Fort. Tea will be served at 6 pm and the lecture begins at 6.30 pm. Call 022 2207 2974/75 or look up www.jp-india.org for details.

(Compiled by Medha Kulkarni. Picture courtesy facebook.com/JnanapravahaAtMumbai and www.artbusiness.com)

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Two events to liven up your Monday

Mondays start the working week, but there’s no reason you should have a sombre evening. Pick from two events today.

Yes, Mondays sure are a painful day of the week to go through, but why not set the stage for a cheerful Tuesday with some dance and art? Today, two events – one on classical dance from Assam and the other, an art showing at Colaba, are worth checking out.

#1: Sattriya: Classical dance of Assam

India is home to some exceptional forms of dance, with each state boasting of it’s own kind. On October 28, Dr Sunil Kothari will give an illustrated talk on ‘Sattriya’, the classical dance of Assam, with excerpts from a DVD on the Sattras, or Monsatries, on Majuli island on the banks of the river Brahmaputra, at Jnanapravaha.

The Sattras have been practicing a form of devotional dance for the past 500 years, written and directed by the 15th century scholar and the Neo-Vaishnavite saint Sankaradeva. He propagated ‘Eka Nama Sharan’ and his dance drama from ‘Ankiya Bhaona’ has morphed into a classical dance Sattriya, which is now recognised as the eighth Indian classical dance form.

Dr Kothari will be accompanied by Prateesha Suresh, an exponent of Sattriya to perform the salient features of this rare form.

Padma Shree and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, dance historian, scholar, author and critic Dr Sunil Kothari, is a former Dean and Professor at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU, New Delhi. He has authored several books on dance including ones on Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi and New Directions in Indian Dance. A Fullbright Professor, he has lectured at several universities in India and abroad.

Head to Jnanapravaha, Queen’s Mansion, 3rd Floor, Ghanshyam Talwatkar Marg, beside Cathedral Middle School, Fort. The event starts at 6 pm. Entry is free but on a first come, first serve basis and seating is limited. Call 022 2207 2974/75 or look up www.jp-india.org.

#2: Solo showing: Perceptions from the Precipice

marriage of fishes, gopikrishnaKerala-based artist Gopikrishna’s solo show titled Perceptions from the Precipice opens at Art Musings, Colaba, today.

The paintings are in oils and watercolours, where humans and animals interact together in a mythical space born out of the artist’s imagination. A storyteller at heart, Gopikrishna paints vivid scenes with his mythical creatures and characters and the effect is as mesmerising as pages from any fairytale. Myriad hues combined with fluid but defined forms add a dimension of surrealism to these works. The ordinary and the impossible, unity and solititude, illumination and darkness, all come together in a seamless harmony in the series.

The works were painted in a two-year time span, between 2011 to 2013. According to the artist, “This body of paintings represent what has been glimpsed, experienced, memorised and realised through this period. Life, as always, has been a traverse through pinnacles and ravines. Paintings thus born bear evidence of the secretive existences perceived from the precipices of life. They reveal a state of timelessness as unaffected by the bangs of the time-bound. They see out the spiritual fibres deeply hidden in the structure of the life-forms.”

The show opens on Monday,October 28 and goes on till December 5.The artist will be present at the opening. Catch the showing at Art Musings, 1, Admiralty Building, Colaba Cross Lane. Call 022 2216 3339/2218 6071 for details.

(Compiled by Medha Kulkarni. Pictures courtesy www.jp-india.org and artmusings.net)

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Film and social media in Mumbai

Two events – one on films and the other on social media – will keep you entertained this Friday evening.
by Medha Kulkarni

Guru Dutt in PyaasaPyaasa, reloaded

In its 100 years of existence, the Indian film industry has produced some fabulous gems in terms of cinema. Today, make your way to NCPA, Mumbai to relive one of Indian cinema’s most iconic films, Pyaasa.

The NCPA Flashback Series, in collaboration with the NFAI, commemorates 100 years of Indian cinema. Every month, Indian cinema’s glorious past will be revisited through a selection of rare classics.

Guru Dutt’s classic melodrama was the first in a series to address the state of the nation and the displaced romantic artist. Vijay is an unsuccessful poet whose work is sold by his brothers as waste paper. Unable to bear the reigning philistinism, he chooses to live on the streets where a young prostitute, Gulab, falls in love with him and his poetry, while Vijay’s former girlfriend Meena marries an arrogant publisher for comfort and security.

When a dead beggar to whom Vijay gave his coat is mistaken for Vijay, Gulab has his poetry published in a book which becomes a bestseller. Everyone who had rejected Vijay now gathers to pay tribute to the dead poet. Vijay disrupts the celebration with a passionate song denouncing hypocrisy and calling for the violent destruction of a corrupt world.

Pyaasa

 

(B&W/Hindi/153mins/1957)

Directed and produced by Guru Dutt

Dialogues by Abrar Alvi

Cast: Guru Dutt, Waheeda Rehman, Mala Sinha, Johnny Walker and others

Head to the Little Theatre, NCPA, today at 6.30 pm. Admission on a first-come-first served basis. NCPA members will get preferential seating till 6.20 pm.

 

indiaculturelabOf social media and fashion

Social Media has been one of the biggest revolutions of this century. It has impacted every field and changed the rules. This Friday, September 27, The Fashion Funda panel discussion at the Godrej India Culture Labs seeks to explore this phenomena.

The discussion ‘Is social media the new front row?’ boasts of panelists such a Nonita Kalra (former Editor-in-Chief of Elle Magazine), Malini Agarwal (founder and Blogger-in-Chief of MissMalini), Pearl Shah (celebrity stylist and former Fashion Director of Marie Claire), Karishma Rajani (writer and blogger at the personal style blog Purple Peeptoes) and Parmesh Shahani (head of the Godrej India Culture Lab).

One of the highlights of the event is that the audience gets the chance to take a walk through  special ‘Fashionstallations’ made by Teach For India students – a look into the world of fashion as seen through a child’s eyes.

With a promise of ‘chic kababs‘ post the panel discussion, the event promises to be an engaging and interesting one.

Entry is free but seating is limited so make sure you reach the venue in time so as to not miss it. Get more information on the website www.indiaculturelab.org.

(Pictures courtesy urduwallahs.wordpress.com, 1linereview.blogspot.com, indiaculturelab.org)

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Global poetry festival comes to Mumbai

Four days of music and readings by city-based poets will take place at Kitab Khana, at Fort, starting September 26.
by Medha Kulkarni

menka shivdasaniAs the third edition of the global movement 100 Thousand Poets for Change gains momentum around the world, Kitab Khana, the well-known book store in South Mumbai, will host a four-day poetry festival starting tomorrow. The event, curated by Mumbai-based writer Menka Shivdasani (in pic on left), takes place between September 26 and 29, 2013, and includes musical performances and readings by city poets. This is the second time that Kitab Khana is hosting the event in Mumbai.

On the first three days, the events take place at 6.00 pm. On Sunday, September 29, the programme begins at 10.30 am.

On September 27, in a programme coordinated by writer and artist Anjali Purohit, the focus will be on women’s lives. This event, entitled Holding up Half the Sky, will have music and poetry based on the three sub-themes of ‘Woman and work’, ‘Being woman’ and ‘Woman as daughter, mother, wife, lover and partner’. There will be musical recitals by Amarendra Dhaneshwar and Mukta Raste and readings by Anjali Purohit, Annie Zaidi, Dileep Jhaveri, Rochelle Potkar, Menka Shivdasani, Smita Sahay and Urvashi Pandya.

On September 28, which is the global day for 100 Thousand Poets for Change this year, classical singer Neela Bhagwat of the 100_thousand_poets_event_2012Gwalior gharana will perform her interpretations of Tagore’s compositions from her concert ‘Robi Anurag’; this will be followed by ‘Poems for Peace’ readings by city poets, including Ranjit Hoskote, Mustansir Dalvi, Hemant Divate, Anju Makhija, Pallavi Jayakar and Vivek Tandon.

For the final day of this festival, September 29 at 10.30 am, Rati Dady Wadia, a prominent educationist in Mumbai and former principal of Queen Mary School, is coordinating The Music of the Spheres, a programme with children, on the themes of peace and sustainability, along with an exhibition, Wonders of Nature. Students of the Bombay International School, Avabai Petit School, Bandra, JB Petit School, GD Somani School and Gopi Birla School will participate. Poems by Ayra Cama will also be presented.

The global movement, 100 Thousand Poets for Change (www.100tpc.org) began in 2011. An event that began primarily with poet organisers, 100 Thousand Poets for Change has grown into an interdisciplinary coalition with year-round events which includes musicians, dancers, mimes, painters and photographers from around the world.

“Peace and sustainability are major concerns worldwide, and the guiding principles for this global event,” says Michael Rothenberg, Co-Founder of 100 Thousand Poets for Change. “We are in a world where it isn’t just one issue that needs to be addressed. A common ground is built through this global compilation of local stories, which is how we create a true narrative for discourse to inform the future.”

For more information, contact Menka Shivdasani on menka.shivdasani@gmail.com

(Pictures courtesy 100 thousand poets for change on Facebook, www.100tpc.org. Images are from last year’s event at the same venue)

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Hula hoop, we say!

This cost-effective and fun way to exercise comes to the city through a one-hour workshop taking place at Bandra tomorrow. Go for it!
by Medha Kulkarni

Do these sound familiar?

“I will go for a jog every day.”
“ I will do yoga on my own at home.”
“I will YouTube fitness videos and follow them at home.”

Urban India is quite firmly caught in the throes of the fitness mantra and that’s a positive sign. However,the nature of our lifestyles and work leaves us with very little to really do anything about it. There’s a percentage of people who regularly attend the gym or various other fitness classes, but this percentage is still a minority. The rest of us try to eat as healthy as possible and frequently decide to do some form of fitness activity. But let’s be honest – most of our plans never come to anything.

hula hoop workshopThe main reason for this is lack of motivation.While we are very keen on being fit, it’s very difficult to really follow a fitness routine on your own at home. Maybe this is why hula hooping is fast gaining popularity. If you want to get into shape via a fun exercise activity, go for Leona Rodrigues’s hula hooping workshop at Bandra today.

What is hula hooping?
A hula hoop is a hollow hoop, which comes in various diameters. It has till recently been relegated as a toy and indeed, children have great fun hula hooping. However, the health benefits of hula hooping have quickly catapulted it to the top of fitness routines.

Hula hooping has a variety of health benefits. It’s an excellent workout for your abs and waist, it makes your spine supple and flexible, and burns calories effectively. Just 30 minutes of regular hula hooping every day can produce striking results in barely six weeks. The best part? It’s an inexpensive way of exercise – buying a hoop is one-time investment and it’s a lot of fun.

Once you master the basic technique, you can hula hoop away excess fat in any part of the body!

The workshop

If you are interested in learning to hula hoop, make your way to Bandra tomorrow, where Leona will conduct a one hour session at St. Joseph’s Convent High School Hall, Hill Road. Leona will not only teach you how to hula hoop, but will also answer all your hoop-related doubts. The best part about this workshop? At Rs 500, it will cost less than a movie out.

Hoops will be provided at the workshop and if you’re so inclined, you can even buy one from Leona to practice at home. Leona has been hula hooping for years and has conducted several workshops till date.For more information and registration, call 9867322077.

(Pictures courtesy natalieplaton.com and Hoopgaga )

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The best documentary in the world…

…is coming to your city, every weekend, starting tomorrow, as part of the Dharamshala International Film Festival’s ‘best documentaries package’.
by Medha Kulkarni

The Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF), in association with The Root Reel and Blue Frog, is presenting ‘The Best Documentaries Package’, in which some of the best documentaries will be screened for Mumbai audiences, every weekend. The initiative starts tomorrow.

5_Broken_Cameras_ posterThe first film to be showcased tomorrow, August 4, is the highly acclaimed film 5 Broken Cameras. It is a deeply personal, first-hand account of life and non-violent resistance in Bil’in, a West Bank village surrounded by Israeli settlements. Shot by Palestinian farmer Emad Burnat, who bought his first camera in 2005 to record the birth of his youngest son, Gibreel, the film was co-directed by Burnat and Guy Davidi, an Israeli filmmaker. Structured in chapters around the destruction of each one of Burnat’s cameras, the filmmakers’ collaboration follows one family’s evolution over five years of village upheaval.

As the years pass in front of the camera, we witness Gibreel grow from a newborn baby into a young boy who observes the world unfolding around him with the astute powers of perception that only children possess. Burnat watches from behind the lens as olive trees are bulldozed, protests intensify and lives are lost in this cinematic diary and unparalleled record of life in the West Bank. In the current climate, with constant upheavals in the Middle East, this film is a telling reminder of how life changes in a seeming instant.

5 Broken Cameras is the first-ever Palestinian film to be nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards. Watch the trailer here:

 

About the initiative:

As filmmakers based in Dharamshala, Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam of White Crane Films, have long believed that the town’s unusual profile would make it a perfect destination for an international film festival. The inaugural edition of DIFF was held in November 2012, showcasing 26 contemporary features, documentaries and shorts, curated from the best of international independent cinema.

The second DIFF will take place over four days in 2013, from October 24 to 27, 2013. The aim is to build and expand on the blueprint of the first edition and establish DIFF as a world-class film festival, where filmmakers and film lovers can interact in an intimate, creative and informal way.

The Root Reel is a Mumbai based organisation whose main objective is to be a mirror, reflecting upon stories around us and try bringing them closer to the urban audience.

Entry is free and on a first-come-first-seated basis. Head to Blue Frog, Zeba Centre, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel, tomorrow at 7.30 pm. Call 098200 95432 for details. 

(Pictures courtesy rabble.ca, www.newwavefilms.co.uk)

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