Cradled between India andBangladesh should have meant double protection for the Sunderbans. On the contrary, this rich reserve has vacillated from one ecological threat to another. No novice to the environment dialogue, the latest to explore and record the repercussions of climate change at Sunderbans will be a group of photography enthusiasts, part of the ALTlab-Social Photography Residency programme organized by Goa–Center for Alternative Photography (CAP). As a founder of Goa-CAP, Pa Madhavan believes the role of an artist, or photographer, transcends inanimate frames. “A dialogue about the impact of climate change in the Sunderbans is not
confined to scientists, scholars, media or the people living there. We all have to be part of this discourse and evolve with it. The onus lies on an artist as
much to create awareness about the situation among their audience,” he states.
At the end of the 15-day art residencyproject, organised in collaboration with Proye Design Kolkata, the participants will exhibit their pictorial interpretations of the situation in an exhibition in Kolkata. As part of the residency, the artists will live in the Sunderbans where they will explore the vast biodiversity comprising
its 425 wildlife species, including the Royal Bengal Tiger and 300 species of trees and herbs and the other natural resources which sustain millions of people—
all of which could disappear within the next 50 to 90 years, some studies say.
According to Madhavan, in addition to providing artists with the time, space and assistantship, Goa-CAP also wanted to promote a dialogue between artists,
wildlife and environmental enthusiasts. “We wanted to investigate intersections of art, wildlife ecology and biodiversity and to engage the general public
through artistic expression to emphasize upon them the importance and relevance of preserving our natural heritage,” he says. Most of the entries received
have been from Europeans.
The residency programme seems
like an extension of Goa-CAP, of sorts.
Instituted in 2009 to revive alternative
photographic processes that defined
one of the most memorable eras
in photography, preservation and conservation
form the very core of this
group.
An investigative photojournalist from
Delhi, Madhavan first explored the nuances
of alternative photography as part
of a fellowship awarded by India Foundation
for the Arts (IFA), which took him
to several parts of the world, including
the US and Peru.
When he returned to Delhi, digital
photography had gripped the industry,
stripping it clean of a once-celebrated
distinct character.
“Reviving alternative photography
meant going backwards. There was
no government support, nor support
of any other kind, and Delhi lacked
the space for such a concept,” says the
38-year-old.
A friend living in Goa offered a physical
and emotional platform for this concept
to take wings. Madhavan’s subsequent
project was a pinhole camera
made from a matchbox that could be
put together for just Rs 60 to 62—using
the ‘basics of physics and photography’,
he says.
He used this creation to capture
frames from the Tamil Nadu winter elections
in 2008 and was very happy with
the outcome. These images found their
way to the walls of Sunaparanta and
also connected him to other like-minded
people who later founded Goa-CAP. Today,
while the other founders are making
a change in other parts of the world,
Edson Dias and Madhavan continue to
perpetuate the cause of Goa-CAP.
“While there may be several international
definitions of alternative photography,
we broadly look at it as four
zones: one was the pre-photography
era, then came the alternative photography
era from 1939 to 1990, which is
when photography really evolved. A lot
of experiments were conducted and
nearly 150 processes were invented
around the world. Then came the analog
period and now we are in the digital
era,” Madhavan says.
A strong advocate of social activism
through art, Goa-CAP has previously
organized a residency programme in
Goa, where artists had to embark on a
40-km walk in three days from
Calangute to Sanquelim
to understand social
issues exclusive
to each area from
mining to tourism.
“These artists
were encouraged to
interact with locals
and capture issues
that plague them
through alternative
photography,” said
Madhavan.
g Review Bureau
