Tales from beyond borders

KOCHI:  Art is for everybody,” says Aquin Mathews, international photographer, curator, and the founder of the Indian Photo Festival (IPF) India’s longest-running photo festival.

Aquin never wanted photographs to be just constrained to gallery spaces. And what is better than exhibitions in open spaces so common people can experience art that talks about global issues and culture?
After curating several international photography exhibitions and festivals across India, Aquin has come to Fort Kochi. In the sprawling Parade Ground, works that won the Photographer of the Year will be on display till January 12. 

Recently IPF organised Photographer of the Year Award for which thousands of entries were received from 85 countries. With hard-hitting press photographs, documentaries, wildlife, street, landscape, portrait, wedding and those clicked on mobile, the event is inclusive. It puts forth those issues that need to be in the public domain.

One of the frames is a series titled ‘Nemo’s Garden’. It is the first underwater greenhouse of terrestrial plants in the world. Shot by Giacomo d’ Orlando, these etch an alternative farming system. Whereas Anindito Mukherjee’s works of a mass cremation site takes us back to the vile face of the pandemic. 

Chinky Shukla gives a sneak peek at the atomic night in Pokhran from 1998. The images tell the stories of desert dwellers from Khetolai in Loharki and Chacha, who still pay the price for India’s nuclear mission. And Sergei Stroitelev’s image of a 16-year-old Ukraine refugee, Elmira, sheds light on her life pre-war. 

“The power of images is tremendous. If not for photographs, we will not know the impact of climate change or the gruesome effects of war. Though one hasn’t experienced these incidents, the images do make one feel. No other medium can achieve the feat,” says Aquin, also an advisor to the Auckland Festival of Photography in New Zealand and the director of the Hyderabad Centre for Photography. The young photographer hails from Kottarakara. However, Aquin’s journey with photography began in Australia. 

“I was an HR consultant there. Attending fests in different countries made me realise the impact such events could leave on one person. Listening to the experiences of photographers and their work moved me to a point that I too wanted to start something in India. So I left my job and started a non-profit organisation called LightCraft Foundation.”

And that led to the beginning of India’s longest-running photo festival in 2015 with the support of the Telangana Department of Tourism. The festival showcases several untold stories. The annual fest has also been host to some of the finest photographers, including Pulitzer winner Nick U T, who clicked the famous image of the Napalm girl .

“We look at stories that haven’t received much limelight. The platform can educate and inform. Art festivals should create dialogue and express through art,” says Aquin.

KOCHI:  Art is for everybody,” says Aquin Mathews, international photographer, curator, and the founder of the Indian Photo Festival (IPF) India’s longest-running photo festival. Aquin never wanted photographs to be just constrained to gallery spaces. And what is better than exhibitions in open spaces so common people can experience art that talks about global issues and culture? After curating several international photography exhibitions and festivals across India, Aquin has come to Fort Kochi. In the sprawling Parade Ground, works that won the Photographer of the Year will be on display till January 12.  Recently IPF organised Photographer of the Year Award for which thousands of entries were received from 85 countries. With hard-hitting press photographs, documentaries, wildlife, street, landscape, portrait, wedding and those clicked on mobile, the event is inclusive. It puts forth those issues that need to be in the public domain. One of the frames is a series titled ‘Nemo’s Garden’. It is the first underwater greenhouse of terrestrial plants in the world. Shot by Giacomo d’ Orlando, these etch an alternative farming system. Whereas Anindito Mukherjee’s works of a mass cremation site takes us back to the vile face of the pandemic.  Chinky Shukla gives a sneak peek at the atomic night in Pokhran from 1998. The images tell the stories of desert dwellers from Khetolai in Loharki and Chacha, who still pay the price for India’s nuclear mission. And Sergei Stroitelev’s image of a 16-year-old Ukraine refugee, Elmira, sheds light on her life pre-war.  “The power of images is tremendous. If not for photographs, we will not know the impact of climate change or the gruesome effects of war. Though one hasn’t experienced these incidents, the images do make one feel. No other medium can achieve the feat,” says Aquin, also an advisor to the Auckland Festival of Photography in New Zealand and the director of the Hyderabad Centre for Photography. The young photographer hails from Kottarakara. However, Aquin’s journey with photography began in Australia.  “I was an HR consultant there. Attending fests in different countries made me realise the impact such events could leave on one person. Listening to the experiences of photographers and their work moved me to a point that I too wanted to start something in India. So I left my job and started a non-profit organisation called LightCraft Foundation.” And that led to the beginning of India’s longest-running photo festival in 2015 with the support of the Telangana Department of Tourism. The festival showcases several untold stories. The annual fest has also been host to some of the finest photographers, including Pulitzer winner Nick U T, who clicked the famous image of the Napalm girl . “We look at stories that haven’t received much limelight. The platform can educate and inform. Art festivals should create dialogue and express through art,” says Aquin.