Mundane Magic

Images by Srinivasa K N and Aditi Rokade

When contemporary German photographer Wolfgang Zurborn, well-known for documenting the mundane in vivid colour, held masterclasses with young enthusiasts in Kolkata and Ahmedabad recently, the result was a wide spectrum of city scenes in VIBGYOR. The images by 18 budding photographers are on display at IGNCA as part of a show called “The Theatre of Real Life”.

While Aditi Rokade has captured a nameless man seen at a makeshift shop, a light bulb covering most of his face; Imran Ahmed has narrowed down on an auto lit up by red fairylights. Arko Datto’s photograph of a bus stop shows three men from varying backgrounds all looking in the same direction while Srinivasa K N has framed coloured plastic containers —  all hung up in a street corner of Kolkata as if they were garments on a clothesline.

Zurborn, who is visiting India for the third time in two years, says, “Mainstream media always shows ‘the spectacular’ but, for me, photography is about the ordinary. It is a tool that helps you see everyday life in a new perspective. The world over, artistes are moving towards such an approach —  one that celebrates the everyday.”

The show at IGNCA, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, ends today.

Time: 11 am to 7 pm.
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