The Chennai Photo Biennale is back with the fourth edition, featuring a host of exhibitions and programs from 20th December 2024 till 16 March 2025. The theme is ‘Why Photograph?’ and unfolds a set of inquiries into our relationship with photography. In this era of visual saturation, CPB4 brings together slower approaches to image
making.
The CPB4 is set to open in two phases – Phase 1: 20 Dec 2024 and Phase 2: 17 Jan 2025.The Biennale
closes on 16 March 2025. Both phases will include a set of primary shows of the CPB Foundation as well as the CPB Invitation shows that are pre-existing works and projects invited to be part of the CPB4.
Phase 1: Exhibitions opening on December 20, 2024
CPB Primary Shows – Dec 2024 include: “Roots that Reach for the Sky” curated by Jaisingh
Nageswaran, featuring a diverse group of artists including Alina Tiphagne, Aishwarya Arumbakkam,
Arun Karthik, Brinda Anantharaman, Krithika Sriram, Osheen Siva, Priyadarshini Ravichandran,
Sathish Kumar, Shankar Raja Narayana, Sridhar Balasubramaniam, Steevez Rodriguez and Vivek
Mariappan.
The show is supported by the Goethe-Institut; and Contemporary practices by women in
photography and lens based art showcasing works by artists from India and around the world
including Fast Forward Collective (UK), Hannah Cooke (Germany), Nony Singh (India), Indu Antony
(India), Offset Projects (India), Ann Griffin (Switzerland), Farheen Fatima (India) among others at the
Lalit Kala Akademi, supported by the Goethe-Institut Chennai, British Council, Pro Helvetia and other
cultural partners.
CPB Invitation shows – Dec 2024 include: “Madras, Margazhi & Music” featuring portraits by Amar
Ramesh at Narada Gana Sabha.
Phase 2: Exhibitions opening on January 17, 2025
CPB Primary Shows- Jan 2025 include: “Love and Light: A Site of Infinite Possibilities”, a retrospective
of Sunil Gupta curated by Gupta-Singh Archives at the Egmore Museum, supported by Tarun &
Tarana Sawhney, Vadehra Art Gallery and Jaiveer Johal; “What Makes Me Click!” – Celebrating &
spotlighting 20 photography projects by children globally showcased at the Government Museum,
Egmore curated by CPB Prism and the Children’s Photography Archive, UK, with support from Rohini
Nilekani Philanthropies featuring photography by children from India, Cambodia, Singapore, Gaza,
Turkey, New York, Guatemala, Greece, UK and South Africa. Participating institutions include the
Bronx Documentary Centre (New York), Girl Museum (London), Museum of Photography
Thessaloniki, Art Reach India (New Delhi), Objectifs (SIngapore) and more.
The exhibition will be curated as an interactive installation along the campus of the museum campus with photographs as
well as engaging playful activities for all ages including a pinhole camera and slide projections; Open
Call Exhibition featuring 40 photographers at a public venue in Chennai. Entries were received from
across 30 countries.
The exhibition will showcase single images and photo essays selected by an
established international jury including Alessia Glaviano, Brendan McCleary, Gwen Lee, Joseph
Radhik, Julie Héraut, Michael Weir, Smita Sharma, Umah Jacob, and Varun Gupta; Darkroom
Residency Showcase, showcasing works by artists from India and UK – Ārun(Chennai), Holly
Birtles(UK) and Soham Joshi(UK). The show is supported by the British Council in partnership with
PhotoWorks UK and CPB Graduate Students’ Showcase.
CPB Invitation Shows – Jan 2025 include: ‘Photography Strictly Prohibited’ – a retrospective of
Navroze Contractor at Folly, Amethyst Chennai; ‘Postcards from Home’ by Manisha Gera Baswani at
Raw Mango Store, Chennai; LM Sen Archive by Emami Art at Alliance Française Madras Gallery,
Chennai; ‘Poetics of Space’ by Sebastian Cortez at Folly, Amethyst CPB Invitation Shows – Feb 2025;
‘Indianisms’ by Prashant Panjiar and ‘Limits of Change’ by Parvathi Nayar and Nayantara Nayar at
Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai.
CPB Invitation Shows – Mar 2025 include: So far and Hereafter by Nandini Valli Muthiah at Lalit Kala
Akademi, Chennai.