Tenth edition of Indian Photo Festival to begin in Hyderabad from November 21, with workshops, exhibitions and masterclasses

Sathish Lal Andhekhar photographs ‘arribada’ or mass nesting process of olive ridley turtles on the shores of Odisha
| Photo Credit: Indian Photo Festival 2024

The Indian Photo Festival (IPF) 2024, which will take place in Hyderabad from November 21 to January 5, will be its tenth edition. The annual fest will return, presenting workshops, masterclasses and portfolio reviews to help aspiring and emerging photographers fine-tune their craft. Interactive sessions and exhibitions entice visitors to look at photography as an art form and a tool for storytelling, in addition to offering a throwback to photography in the pre-digital era.

“Since the IPF’s inception a decade ago, we have tried to give participants a 360-degree view of photography as an art form, and use images to sensitise people to pressing issues,” says IPF founder and director Aquin Mathews. To explain the impact of photography, he cites an example of an architecture student visiting the IPF in 2022; on viewing Smita Sharma’s photographs on the rehabilitation of victims of trafficking, she was inspired to join a voluntary organisation to help similar victims. 

Aquin recalls listening to a talk by Chris Rainier, a National Geographic explorer, documentary photographer and filmmaker, in Australia a decade ago. “His talk inspired me to curate a photography festival in India and that led to the IPF.” Ever since, efforts were on to get Rainier to be a part of the festival. This year, the photographer is one of the speakers and will showcase his images in an exhibition titled Mask.

Chris Rainier’s participation is among the highlights of this year’s IPF. Aquin, who frequents international photo exhibitions and is constantly on the lookout for interesting work, says the IPF will continue to build on its existing format of showcasing curated exhibitions (physical and digital), alongside conducting workshops, masterclasses, and facilitating portfolio reviews. 

Retrospectives

Among the exhibitions, look out for retrospectives. The exhibition Photography Strictly Prohibited will feature selected works of (late) cinematographer and still photographer Navroze Contractor. 

A photograph of Pt. Bhimsen Joshi by Navroze Contractor
| Photo Credit:
Indian Photo Festival 2024

Twin Sisters With Cameras will showcase photographs by Debalina Mazumder and Manobina Roy, who were among the early women photographers in India. 

Did you know that the Governor of Telangana Jishnu Dev Varma’s ancestor Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya (1837-1896) of Tripura, was one of the first to have a still camera when it arrived in India, alongside Lala Deen Dayal? The exhibition Reflection of an Era will showcase prints of photographs by the Maharaja. “It is interesting to learn how the Maharaja photographed his family and his surroundings. He also took a selfie (in 1885) using a long pneumatic bulb remote control,” Aquin explains.

Homegrown talent

Hyderabad-based photographer Kishor Krishnamoorthy’s exhibition will present a ringside view of the general elections 2024, taking a closer look at the campaigns of key political parties in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. 

Emerging photographer Rajesh Vallepu turns his gaze on Peerla Panduga in Telangana, observed during Muharram by both Hindu and Muslim communities, driving home the point of religious bonhomie.

Bhumika Saraswati’s exhibition Unequal Heat will focus on the stark difference with which different economic strata tried to cope with the searing heat in summer. 

International spotlight

Chris Rainier’s photograph of Kathakali artistes in Kerala
| Photo Credit:
Indian Photo Festival 2024

The exhibitions featuring the work of international photographers focus on issues ranging from displacement of indigenous tribes in the Amazon forests (Pablo Albarenga’s Seeds of Resistance – Human Stories Beyond the Trees) to an anti-LGBTQ bill in Ghana (Clara Watt’s exhibition The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values) and the violence against women and its emotional scars (Silent Screams – a group show), among several others. A selection of exhibitions also focus on environmental issues ranging from ocean plastics, food and hunger, and the conservation of olive ridley turtles along the coasts of Odisha. “All these issues — environmental, gender and human rights — have global resonance,” says Aquin about the curation.

Nicole Tung, regarded as one of the finest contemporary war photographers, will also conduct a session at the IPF. Matt Black of Magnum Photos, recognised internationally for his documentary photography, will conduct a masterclass. “His workshops usually cost anywhere from ₹60,000  to a lakh but the IPF is offering the session free of cost,” says Aquin. 

(Indian Photo Festival 2024 will be held at State Gallery of Art, Goethe Zentrum and other venues. For a detailed schedule of workshops, masterclasses and exhibitions, check indianphotofest.com)