Press Release
A unique photography exhibition, ‘Ellipsis – Between the Word and Image’ was inaugurated at Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK). As part of the inauguration ceremony, held at the Museum Galleries of JKK, a curatorialwalkthrough with the Curator, Rahaab Allana was organised. The curator took the audience through the galleries introducing them to the concept of Ellipsis. On the occasion, Director General of JKK, Pooja Sood and Additional Director General of JKK, Mr. Rajendra Vijay were also present.
The curator explained that the two and a half month long exhibition bridges the concepts of past and present, rhetoric and fantasy. The works explore the understanding of aesthetics of photography and the relationship of photography to painting and words.
Consultant Director, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum (MSMS II), Mr. Giles Tillotson said that it is for the first time that many of these works from the archives of India’s first established photographer-king, Sawai Ram Singh II of Jaipur is being displayed. The photographer king used photography not only as a tool to document but also to showcase the power of photography. The exhibition also presents numerous large prints of the city and a few self-portraits of the King thus creating a visual autobiography of his reign.
Overall, the exhibition is divided into 3 main divisions:
Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II:
The rare works from the MSMS II unveiling the Maharaja’s early engagement with photography as reportage and improvisation have been displayed in this collection. The works include his early copy work, portraiture, landscapes, and images from his court along with some original 19th-century photographs from the Alkazi Collection. The display altogether reflects the history of Jaipur from the photographic lens.
PIX:
The exhibits from PIX (a platform for South Asian practitioners now in its tenth year) are a curatorial mixture of poetry, prose, and other narratives invoked from or published in PIX. Collection from around 32 artists from Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and India has been exhibited in the Contemporary gallery and gallery 2 at JKK. The artisteries bring out restaged moments from the political history through ‘By-an-eye-witness photography’, artworks reflecting the conflicts of our dual states of existence, human-rights and much more.
Nandan Ghiya:
This part of the exhibition traces Nandan Ghiya’s photo-sculptural-graphic practice. Various photographic artworks involving19th-century prints turned into new compositions and contemporary objects help the visitor reinterpret history in a personal capacity.
It is to be recalled that the exhibition is being presented by JKK in association with The Alkazi Foundation for the Arts (AFA), PIX, City Palace Museum (Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum) and Exhibit 320. It is open for visitors from 16 February to 30 April from 11 am to 7 pm, on all days except Mondays & public holidays.