JOIN USSurfaces et profondeurs’ (Surfaces and depths), a first of its kind collaborative event between the Indian poet, Anupama Raju and the French photographer, Bernard Pascal was recently held at Alliance Francaise de Bengaluru.
The exhibition unearthed the depths and the mysteries of the French city of La Rochelle through the words and lens of the two artistes.
The unique element in the exhibition is the relation between photography and poetry as the visual representation gives a deeper insight into La Rochelle. The poems have been translated from French to English in order to benefit the mass audience.
The poems were about the fate of the Jews after the World War II and was based on an unofficial museum which displayed the belongings of a Jew.
The exhibition touches upon the mystical and the surreal, and the past of the city, all in the format of poems. Sudhansu Panigrahi, a visitor, was mesmerized by the displays.
“What I love about this particular exhibition is that the duo have captured the architecture and structures of the old buildings in La Rochelle really well.” Kapil, a businessman, added, “I was astounded by what the Indo-French mix can actually bring to the world.”
Dilip, an architect opined, “This exhibition is a fresh one in Bengaluru; I actually stumbled upon it because of my curiosity. I just love the environment and the genuine art that is displayed here.” Siddarth S Ganesh, a student, was more inclined towards the poetry. “I attended this exhibition for the French poetry rather than the photography.
The exhibit is innovative but I feel it doesn’t help the viewer for many reasons. The photographs were taken on the basis of the poems and how the viewer connects the two art forms is subjective and depends entirely on his imagination as both are different media.”
The exhibition attracted quite a number of youngsters, most of them who were fans of all things French, and budding photographers who wanted to learn more about their trade. The exhibition will be on till December 21.