So What IV, 2023 by Krishanu Chatterje
Showcasing the works of lens-based artists Indu Antony, Krishanu Chatterjee and Vivek Muthuramalingam, Blueprint12's latest exhibition, Dreams of a Summer Past, explores alternative practices in photography, including cyanotype, gum oil, and albumen printing. Embracing a sense of nostalgia, the photographers capture the essence of Bengaluru, each framing the city in their unique visual language. Immersed in historical landscapes and revisiting memories from personal and public spaces, these artists offer distinct perspectives on the urban landscape. Indu, Krishanu and Vivek are part of the collaborative studio called Kāṇike in Bengaluru, dedicated to time-tested, organic, and handcrafted processes in studio practices. The three artists share the ideas behind their works below.
Indu Antony
'Archive of Memories’ is an intimate exploration of the spaces that have cradled my existence, shaping the contours of my identity and providing a backdrop to the chapters of my life. Cyanotype/Blueprint was used historically for reprography of plans and technical drawings. In this project I navigate this intricate topography of homes lived in prompting a reexamination of the emotional resonance embedded within the walls that bear witness to our personal narratives.
Archive of Memories I, 2023 by Indu Antony
Krishanu Chatterjee
In the last few months my life has been confined to the four walls of my apartment. While the world is facing an unknown pandemic threat, social interaction has been reduced to mere zoom calls. Today, while sitting on my balcony nostalgia engulfed me. In the past decade, the definition of friendship and socializing has changed drastically. Virtual platforms on the Internet have redefined human relations and forced confinement has only accentuated that practice into many folds.
Year 2003. I was fairly new to Bangalore. I was still under abit of cultural shock. Although located within the same country, Calcutta and Bangalore had very distinct characteristics. In the late 90's till the early 2000’s most Indian cities were much different from what they are now. Today I feel most of the cities are becoming homogenous and losing their identities. Java City on Church Street, a laid back coffee shop in the bustling city center, was one that contributed to the identity of Bangalore. Stuck in time, the coffee shop harbored many creative minds and music lovers over cheap coffee and some foot-tapping live jazz music over the weekends. A four-member music group called “C- street band” was largely responsible for making me a regular at the coffee shop. I was not the only one and in due course of time all the regular visitors became a larger community - we spoke about art, photography, music, politics and so on.
So What XV, 2023 by Krishanu Chatterje
Friendship flourished, a few long and a few short relationships as well. Now when I think of those days, I feel that the non-judgmental nature of the space and the people helped me to a great extent to come out of the discomfort of being uprooted from my hometown. From then on, for almost a decade, I have many sweet and sour memories woven around the coffee shop, fondly known as “JC” to us.
By 2012 many fancy global coffee shops mushroomed all across the city and JC got lost in time. But the memories remained captured in many film rolls. Today sitting in the darkness of my balcony, I feel severely deprived of the real touch and feel with my friends. Images of JC appear to be distant memories of the past. Lines are getting blurred and faces are hazy.
Vivek Muthuramalingam
The city that has been my home for the most part of my life transformed significantly during the first decade of the century. Bangalore no longer resembles the one I am familiar with; its warmth and quietude has been replaced by glass façades, tech parks and soulless clones of neighbourhoods. My family relocated to the outskirts hoping to revel in the last remaining sanctuary, only to have the new airport appear in the north. While I am calibrating myself to the new landscape, I often have spells of nostalgia that lure me into long walks in the locales where I spent parts of my childhood. While I do so, I sometimes notice relics of the old city revealing themselves in the dimly lit bylanes, but only momentarily.
Words Platform Desk
Date 14.12.2023