An artistic take on the National Capital

PHOTO SHOP

Living among IT experts, surrounded by man-made machines, 28-year-old Puneet Arora’s imagination takes flight the moment he witnesses a cultural performance. The result is his debutant exhibition ‘Art & Delhi’.

Deconstruct the name and it is easy to understand that the exhibition explores the art scene of the Capital. In the very first frame, an engrossed Shubha Mudgal holds a paper in her hand as she sings at a concert in Connaught Place. Her eyes closed and hand moving in tandem with the music are captured by the young photographer.

“I love to attend cultural events in the city,” says Arora, adding how he found Delhi’s art scene a potential subject to be showcased in photographs. “I am actually quite filmi in real life. So when I started clicking pictures for this exhibition, I decided to make them dramatic. Since photography is easier as compared to videography, I chose this medium.”

A picture of a guitarist on the stage, silhouetted due to light effects, is shot by Arora when the artiste stood amid smoke clouds – grey on the right and orange on the left. “This I shot at last year's South Asia Band Festival. I like to click such pictures which show the passion of the artistes who come to perform in the City from across the world,” he elucidates.   

In similar frames, Arora has also captured few other guitarists and retained their emotion in colour, while some are presented in black and white. Other images in black and white include that of a man rolling a bus tyre near Tihar Jail. There are other images shot in the same vicinity such as the wall graffiti created during the recent Street Art Festival, on Tihar’s wall. To complete a sentence ‘Zinda Dil Dilli’ this Delhiite combines four pictures and frames them as one to define his city.

A similar vibrant graffiti is shot by Arora at Hauz Khas. “This is a generator which attracted me due to the art created on it. And I ensured to present not just performing art but every possible art which finds space in Delhi.” The same stands true for a particular shot of restoration work of the Humayun's Tomb and a 3D evening shot of the Lodhi Tomb.  

Amidst this, one wonders why a picture of an old lady selling small flags and umbrellas made of paper is placed. The photographer is unable to answer the question. Ironically, the image of a train leaving Hazrat Nizamuddin Station, in colour, and the mess of the railway station that is on view, succeed in giving the aesthetics of the city a reality check.The exhibition is on view at Delhi O Delhi Foyer, India Habitat Centre till October 31.