Kinnar akhara comes alive at an exhibition gallery in New york

PRAYAGRAJ: Internationally renowned photographer, Guillaume Ziccarell's work on the members of the Kinnar akhara, during Kumbh 2019, are being exhibited at the prestigious Perrotin Gallery in New York from July 9. The French photographer had stayed with the kinnars of the akhara for 15 days during mahakumbh of 2019 and captured varied dimensions of this community.
The exhibition of Ziccarelli’s work would be on display at the gallery in New York from July 9 to August 14. Ziccarelli is a French photographer and cinematographer based in New York City and he specialises in documentaries.
The solo exhibition, of the renowned photographer, is titled 'The Holy Third Gender: Kinnar Sadhu' and this would showcase transgender saints and their role as religious leaders who have found an influential voice, spreading a message of free spiritual expression and queer liberation. Ziccarelli’s documentary project seeks to highlight the strength within this community, despite the regular discrimination transgender people face in India, and around the world, said Lavkush Gupta, his associate.
He shared that knowing that Kumbh-2019 marked a historic moment for India’s transgender individuals, Ziccarelli travelled to Prayagraj to document their controversial initiation into the Kumbh Mela as equal, spiritual leaders.
"Once settled in Prayagraj, Ziccarelli was welcomed as a guest by the Kinnar Sadhus, and he spent nearly two weeks documenting their stories through photography and interviews. He was particularly struck by the public adulation of the transgender Sadhus, who were widely respected and sought out for their wisdom, within the orchestrated chaos of the Kumbh Mela, despite initial opposition to their integration, and ongoing hostility from some quarters," shared Gupta.
He said that Ziccarelli’s interest in the Kinnar Sadhu community was sparked when he learned of India’s official recognition of the third gender in 2014, and a pre-colonial Hindu tradition of looking favourably upon non-binary gender identification.
Ziccarelli has been a close collaborator of Perrotin’s for the past 15 years, working on many endeavours, including exhibition production, scenography, as well as photography, and cinematography. He has worked on shows with major institutions, including Centre Pompidou, Chateau de Versailles, Qatar Museum Authority, Centre d’Art et du Paysage de Vassivière, the Delacroix Museum, as well as with architect David Adjaye and artists Takashi Murakami, Sophie Calle and Pharrel Williams.