The Academy of Electronic Arts is a learning, sharing, mentoring, networking, benchmarking and empowering institution that evolves continuously to inclusively address *all* e-Creative Practices & Practitioners, whether already existing or as yet inconceivable, whether professional or not, and whether formally recognized as Art forms and Artists or not so, on a public-benefit basis into the future.
on saturday I went along to the Raqs Media Collective exhibition called "There has Been a Change of Plan" at Gallery Nature Morte in Delhi, India. I'm currently working here on a project. I've been following Raqs' work and Sarai for quite a few years but this is the first time I've seen their work in person. it was a retrospective of work from 2002-2006. Raqs MC have exhibited/collaborated with many international exhibitions and festivals/biennales (including recently the sydney biennale I believe?) but this was the first solo exhibition in Delhi, even though they were formed in 1992 & have been exhibiting since then also.
the collective also work on various research projects and release an annual reader (Sarai Reader) - this can be viewed on their website as well as in book form (though I've only seen them here in print form so was lucky to pick them up locally!) the readers have a different topic each year which academics and researchers write submissions for to discuss and document various issues. they also run a research fellows project where students write on topics such as urban development, village life in India, media, technology, social and health issues etc.
anway, I took some photos and made a slideshow video if you would like to take a look. (some of the pics are a little blurry I'm afraid, but they give you an idea)
another video of the India Habitat Centre here in Delhi which is a convention centre / collection of buildings where there are many galleries & conference rooms/workshops on Indian art and habitats / urban & rural development & life projects/info is at http://blip.tv/file/62578
we've seen a few of the touristy spots in Delhi and I've taken heaps of photos, way too many to see at my flickr site so I've started making little slideshow videos. this is part 1 of the day we went to see the Baha'ai Lotus Temple and Humayan's Tomb.
the lotus temple looks very similar to the Sydney Opera House except the wings curve inwards like a lotus flower rather than outwards like the opera house. you have to take your shoes off and walk up a long path to reach it. there's thousands of visitors each day - it's one of the busiest places on Earth apparently. you can't take video or photos inside the temple. the acoustics in the room are amazing though! I've taken some audio recordings which I'll post one day. such beautiful echoes. people whisper and whistle and the sounds carry throughout the space wafting up to the upper rafters. the architectural design of the support beams inside is amazing also. plus it's really clean and much cooler than outside so is a great way to get away from the craziness and loudness of the rest of Delhi.
Humayan's Tomb is another tourist attraction. it is the tomb of one of the leaders and his wives. it was built about 100 years prior to the Taj Mahal so they call it a practice building for the Taj. though how they knew that 100 years later a king would be so successful and want to show his wealth & power by building a huge monument to his dead wife I'm not sure, but it's a nice story the tourists (like us) are told! perhaps I need to read a history / architecture book to find the full story. it's pretty much in rubble now. it's amazing how little the heritage is looked after here compared to other places. apparently up until about 30 years ago, people lived in the village compound still so it wasn't taken care of as it should have been until more recent years. I suppose a large space like this with protected walls was a good address to have at the time..
traditionally the children fly kites leading up to independance day (15/08) but I've been seeing them in Delhi since April. nice to watch in the afternoons if you're out and about. the kids get up on the roof of their apartment block and fly small hanky sized kites whilst dodging the power lines. I haven't been able to get a good shot but this one will remind me of them in the meantime.
PUKAR is an innovative and experimental initiative that aims to contribute to a global debate about urbanization and globalization. It takes Mumbai as its conceptual base and laboratory for cross-disciplinary research projects. PUKAR also organizes seminars, workshops, talks and film screenings in English, Marathi and occasionally other Mumbai languages, and focuses specifically on producing a new space for critical engagement. Its goal is to generate new urban knowledge by encouraging maximum participation of Mumbai's citizens in this process, thus also contributing to the city's dynamism and sustainability. PUKAR's team consists of a group of scholars, social and cultural activists and professionals in the fields of art, journalism, film, architecture, urban planning and social sciences. The group was founded in 2001 by Professor Arjun Appadurai (Provost & Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs, New School University, New York, USA), who serves as the President of its Board of Trustees.
CRIT (Collective Research Initiatives Trust) is a group of architects, scholars, technicians and artists who have worked together over the past seven years in Mumbai. Their collective was established in early 2003 with the aim of undertaking research, pedagogy and intervention on urban spaces and contemporary cultural practices in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. CRIT regards this vast urban realm as its laboratory and terrain for articulating a critical urbanism. Our understanding of urbanism is based on the recognition that everyday exchange between disciplines and across sectors is the basic condition of metropolitan environments, and that collective research is essential to transforming urban spaces and civic life.
Comet Media Foundation researches and produces communication materials on themes related to development. The subjects of this work include education, environment, health, gender issues and the history of science. Our materials bring out alternative perspectives on these themes and tell of innovations by practitioners. The group was started in 1985.
Himal Southasian is published and distributed by The Southasia Trust, Lalitpur, Nepal
Himal Southasian is Southasia's first and only regional magazine. Stretching from Afghanistan to Burma, from Tibet to the Maldives, this region of more than 1.4 billion people shares great swathes of interlocking geography, culture and history. Yet today neighbouring countries can barely talk to one another, much less speak in a common voice. For two decades, Himal Southasian has strived to nurture, define and amplify that voice.
