Goethe Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan and Art Chennai in association with Travelling Lens is initiating Chennai’s first broad-based, public photographic art project, “A Week in the Life of Chennai; A photographic event,” to coincide with the 2012 Art Chennai festival to be held March 11-18. We are inviting photographers with all levels of experience to create a public document of Chennai by submitting photographs that will be displayed as large-scale prints in select public spaces during Art Chennai week.

TThe photography for “A Week in the Life of Chennai” will take place during February 19th to 26th. On February 19th, we are organizing a activation meeting/workshop at the Goethe Institut (Max Mueller Bhavan) at Number 4, 5th Street, Rutland Gate from 4.00 to 7.00 PM: seating is limited so do arrive on time, all interested are welcome.

After this workshop, participants will create a photographic document of Chennai over the course of the next seven days, submitting up to 10 photos total in one or more of the following themes:

Travelling Lens will hold two additional free workshops on COMPOSITION on February 21 and 22 at the Goethe Institut, during which photographer Yannick Cormier will provide guidance on the types of photos we are seeking. After these sessions the Travelling Lens team will be available to provide critical review of your images on a first-come, first-served basis. To attend these workshops you will need to register, using the “REGISTER” Tab on this page.

Once registered, you will receive updates on workshop timings, gatherings and requirements by email. If you have questions please get in touch via our e-mail address at artchennai2012@travellinglens.net. The last date for submission is February 27th by 11:59pm. A panel of photographers led by Yannick Cormier will curate the exhibition and select the photographs to be included in the project; then, we will announce the accepted photographs on March 3rd. The prints will be made using flex/vinyl and will be hung in public spaces around central Chennai.

There is no cost to participate in this project. Sponsors will cover printing and hanging costs. You simply need to share your photographs of Chennai for display.

The ‘Day in the Life of Chennai’ team is very excited to execute this dream project. We hope to activate 100 to 200 photographers from Chennai, if you know anyone who loves taking photos please do pass along this email. Time is of the essence, so do register immediately.

19th February 4pm to 7pm | Activation Meeting/Workshop at Goethe Institut

19th-26th February | Seven days to document Chennai

21st & 22nd February | Free workshops on Composition at Goethe Institut opportunity for critical review

27th February | Submission Deadline

28th and 29th February | Curation Phase

March 3rd | Review of the photographs

March 4th to 11th | Printing Phase and Installation Phase

March TBD | Grand Opening of Public Exhibition

1. Life of the Night | people working and playing after the sun goes down

2. Commuting/Transport | people (and things) on the move

3. Hidden Chennai | there are aspects of Chennai that don’t happen out in the open; what is the esoteric, not “everyday” life of the city?

4. Dichotomy | the thought-provoking side-by-side contrasts – new and old, rich and poor, etc. – that show multiple facets of Chennai in one spot.

5. Community | the life of specific cultural and social communities within Chennai

6. Religious Chennai | Chennai’s temples, mosques and churches, and their celebrations

7. Markets | the places people shop: sidewalk markets and modern malls alike

8. The Beach | Elliot’s Beach, Marina Beach, Ideal Beach – anything that goes on by the sea

9. Food | Chennai’s cuisine, and the people preparing and eating it

10. Portrait / Self Portrait / Body & Form | traditional and non-traditional portraits of the residents of Chennai

11. Cityscape/Landscape | the panoramic, wide-angle view of Chennai

12. Heritage | Chennai’s history and architecture

13. Art & Culture | the dance, music, painting, etc. of the city

14. Industry | Chennai’s businesses – everything from small-scale craftspeople to heavy industry

15. Walls of Chennai | the city’s walls are canvases for a multitude of painters and advertisers: what is the “found art” of the city?

16. Conceptual | digital art | set pieces, abstractions, collages, what-have-you that, in your mind, captures the essence of Chennai

The following images are reference mock-ups created to present the idea to the public. These have been created by digitally super-imposing images from the stock of Varun Gupta over photos of the MRTS stations. We hope to install large size flex/vinyl prints in the giant spaces of the MRTS stations. The possibilities are infinite, and we look forward to having a great series of exhibitions with images from photographers across the city.

Thank you for your interest in participating in the ‘Week in the Life of Chennai: A photographic event’.

Registration is Closed

Participation in the workshops or the exhibition will be free of cost.

There will also be no remuneration for accepted /displayed photographs.

At the end of the exhibition, the displayed photographs will be under the charge of Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan

The Copyright for all submitted images will belong exclusively to the photographer. Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan and Art Chennai are allowed to use the images for promotion of the current photographic project.

Submissions are closed