Clik | Edition 23 | November 2022.
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We are delighted to connect with you through live events at physical spaces, via hybrid modes or virtually at the click of a button! We invite you to join us, whenever you are ready, or from wherever you are, on myriad creative journeys, where with valued partners in India and in Korea, we explore new pathways and experiences, the magic of live performances and exhibitions or engage with those newly imagined from creation to reception and distribution on digital platforms. In this edition, as we open our cultural calendar, through a combination of phygital presentations, we invite you to evocative journeys and sensory experiences that though moored in local culture, connect and resonate with audiences worldwide!

We hope, with this e-digest, to stay meaningfully connected with you, to discover and engage with the unique, local characteristics as well as the shared, global dimensions of the dynamic, ongoing intercultural dialogue between India and Korea.

07
November

Tempered: Poetry in Glass - a group exhibition by Indian glass artists

at The Gallery @ InKo Centre.

This exhibition looks at the artistic interpretations of the concept of Poetry In Glass, especially post-pandemic, through the medium of glass. Glass transforms through fire into new states of being. We examine the metaphor of rejuvenation, transformation, fluidity and permeability as attributes of glass, through figurative, abstract and natural forms.

Individual handmade glass is a contemporary medium for artists over the world and this exhibition aims to bring to the fore the brilliance and luminosity of the material, transformed and orchestrated into forms by the heat of fire by expert hands of contemporary Indian glass artists. The spotlight is on the dynamic vision of what established and young emerging artists in India are crafting today and creating international resonances in this new medium.

Featuring:
• Atul Bakshi, Delhi
• Harsh Vardhan Nowlakha, Bangalore
• Pallavi Chandra & Deeksha Saini, Delhi
• Sisir Sahana, Shantiniketan
• Srila Mookherjee, Kolkata

Curator's statement:

Glass is luminous, magical and attracts attention by its extraordinary transparency, affinity to colour, light and apparent weightlessness. Made of the simple components of sand and soda fused together with fire, it is so hard that a diamond is needed to scratch it; so fragile that it can shatter to fragments in over-heated water. Individual handmade glass is a contemporary medium for artists across the world and this exhibition is an attempt to bring to the fore the brilliance and luminosity of the material, transformed and orchestrated into forms by the heat of fire and the expert hands of contemporary Indian glass artists.

Not much is known by art lovers and collectors in India about the making process of glass-whether blowing, casting, fusing or molding and the artists bring forth diverse practices. The spotlight is on the dynamic vision of what established and young emerging artists in India are crafting, often with the artisanal support of craftsmen of Purdil Nagar and Firozabad, and creating international resonances in this new medium.

About the Artists:

Atul Bakshi, Delhi

In dialogue with the styles of other contemporary glass masters who prefer the cast glass method and constant experimentation, Atul has evolved his own way of working with glass. His particular innovation involves the molding of copper into three dimensional form, which is then embedded into glass. Cast glass, unlike blown glass, involves the artist’s immediate contact with the medium - a hands-on kneading and coaxing into sculptural form. The idea that a sculpture should always ‘speak’ to its viewer, underlies Atul’s glasswork - each time a viewer engages with the work, a new meaning should be discovered within it. He calls his copper head series ‘Abi’ (the biblical word for father), paying tribute to his own father who taught him to sculpt clay when he was a boy.

Harsh Vardhan Nowlakha, Bangalore

Harsh is an artist born and raised in Kolkata. He completed his BFA in Sculpture from the California College of Arts in Oakland, California. Harsh is a process-based artist who has a keen sensitivity to materials and their innate qualities. In his studio practice he explores a variety of traditional materials and techniques such as textile weaving, ceramics and glass making.

With an interest in traditional practices, Harsh looks at the techniques of ancient times and incorporates these fundamental processes in his own contemporary practice. Often looking at ‘time’ as a metaphor for the human experience, Harsh creates artifacts that bring a sense of stillness and serenity to the viewer. He questions the relation between the essential elements of nature and the automated production of the industrial world, to better connect with the process of creation by exploring the use of materials, textures, subtle colours and forms.

Glasshouse Bangalore by JaH Studiosu is a sculpture and glass studio started by Harsh. This is a space for art, enthusiasm, and practice. He has built the glassblowing studio in Bangalore, India, with an interest in teaching traditional practices and spreading this ancient craft.

Pallavi Chandra & Deeksha Saini, Delhi

Founder of Glass Forest with Deeksha Saini, Pallavi Chandra graduated with a BDes in Lifestyle Accessory from NIFT, Gandhinagar, and MDes in Ceramics and Glass from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. She honed her skills in product conceptualization, realization and learned how to turn raw glass into beautifully designed functional objects. After nine years of significant experience in the design industry with firms such as Klove Design and Ganjam Nagappa & Sons she started her own brand, Glass Forest. Pallavi is Visiting Faculty at the National Institute of Fashion Technology Delhi and Unitedworld Institute Of Design. Deeksha Saini completed her design education from NIFT and went on to work in the luxury lighting industry, where she fell in love with glass. Their installations include metal design elements in wall works such as Koi Ponds, Lily Pads and Lotus Leaves.

Sisir Sahana, Shantiniketan

Sisir Sahana graduated in painting from Kala-Bhavan, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan and in Stained Glass from Central St. Martin’s College of Art & Design, London. He has held 35 solo exhibitions in India and participated in group exhibitions, workshops, seminars internationally and in India. He is the recipient of the Commonwealth Scholarship, Junior and Senior Research Fellowship in the field of Glass Painting from Department of Culture, Government of India. He was invited on a Fellowship/Residency program by Creative Glass Center of America, USA in 2000 and he participated in a residency Programme with the Pittsburgh Glass Center, USA.

Sisir is also a documentary filmmaker on the life of artists. His Maati-O-Manush (The Soil and the People), produced in Bengali received a Jury Award from The New Hope Film Festival, USA in 2010. His other films include Suryaprakash: A journey through Life and Art as well as Nandan Mela, Kala-Bhavana and Santiniketan --- a collective spirit’ and ‘VISVA-BHARATI’, on the occasion of the 100th year of Visva-Bharati University. One of his films is based on the life of artist Prithvi in Bengali and Telegu.

Sisir currently is a Professor in the Ceramics & Glass, Department of Design in Kala-Bhavana, Visva-Bharati. Santiniketan.

Srila Mookherjee, Kolkata

Srila Mookherjee graduated in Ceramics from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. She apprenticed in pottery as assistant to Eila Romakkaniemi in Rovaniemi, Finland and at the design studio of Pentik, ceramic ware manufacturers, Posio, Finland. In glass, she has trained under Anthony Stern at Stern Glass Ltd, London. At The Glasshouse, London, she was assistant to artists Annette Meech, David Taylor, Christopher Williams and Fleur Tookey.

She is the founder of Aakriti Studio, the first hot glass studio in Kolkata, India, sourcing all materials and equipment indigenously. She teaches glass as Visiting Faculty, National Institute of Design and is responsible for the introduction of contemporary glass design in India. She is also the founder member & partner, AFSA Fired Art LLP as well as founder member, Indo Swedish Glass Sambandh. She has held over thirteen solo exhibitions of her works in cities such as Mumbai at Artisans, Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Jehangir Art Gallery and Cymroza Gallery. In Delhi she has exhibited at Art Heritage, India International Centre and AIFACS and in Kolkata at Weavers Studio for the Arts, Oxford Gallery, and Conclave Gallery among others. Her recent group shows include Kindling Change, Serendipity Art Festival, Goa; Matisse Revisited, Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata; My Own Muse, Art Exposure, Kolkata and Indo Swedish Glass Sambandh, Linkoping, Sweden.

About the Curator: Kristine Michael

Kristine Michael is a ceramic artist and designer from the National Institute of Design Ahmedabad, based in New Delhi. She is an arts educator, independent researcher, writer and curator, currently completing her PhD in art history from the School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Kristine has held over 15 solo exhibitions of her works. Her works are in collections of National Gallery of Modern Art, Musee Ariana, Geneva, Clay Studio Philadelphia, Incheon Korea among others.

Kristine has widely published essays on Indian historical and contemporary ceramics. Her recent curatorial projects include Serendipity Arts Festival Goa 2019 & 2020, Art of Kripal Singh Shekhawat, DAG Jaipur 2018 and Retrospective of P R Daroz India Art Fair 2022. She has curated three Indo-Korean collaborative ceramic exhibitions for InKo Centre and Gallery Nvya - Earth Synergy in 2006 and Transitions/Tradition in 2012. Most recently, in 2022, an online commissioned for InKo Centre virtual exhibition titled ‘The Human Spirit’ with Indian and Korean contemporary ceramic and glass artists.

In 2007 she was invited participant and an guest speaker for Skin of Asia at the 4th World Ceramics Biennale, Incheon, Korea and at ‘Social Realism in Asia’ Forum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul in 2008. She has been awarded among others, the Charles Wallace Trust Fellowship and Nehru India Trust Award to research at the V&A Museum, London

As an arts educator, Kristine has taught at Penland School of Arts, USA, Indus College of Architecture, Karachi and National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. She is the curriculum leader of visual & dramatic arts at The British School New Delhi and is currently completing her PhD at JNU School of Arts and Aesthetics on 19th century Indian ceramics.

About Madras Art Weekend

Madras Art Weekend is a collaborative initiative, that brings together an entire art fraternity on a single platform. Hosted by some of the most prominent and leading contemporary art galleries in the city, MAW aims at exploring the vast potential of emerging and established artists, represented by various galleries, organisations and individuals.

The focus is to create a synergy, dialogue, interaction and a platform that is relevant, experiential and sensorial. From art talks by prominent artists, to avid collectors opening up their homes to curious admirers, from galleries engaging with various art professionals to the very best of creative workshops, the endeavour, is to bring together several art and design enthusiasts, broaden the reach and relevance of contemporary art and to reinvent and rediscover the narrative on the city’s Artscape.

Madras Art Weekend
11 to 13 November 2022 at various venues across the city of Chennai.

The exhibition opens at 6.30 p.m. IST on Monday, 7 November 2022 at The Gallery @ InKo Centre and will be on view until Saturday, 7 January 2023.

The inauguation of the exhibition wil be followed by a presentation by artists Srila Mookherjee, Harsh Nowlakha and Ashwini Pai Bahadur of Glass Makers Club, Delhi. at 7.00 p.m.

Our sincere thanks to the International Foundation for the Arts for supporting the promotion of this exhibition as part of their Madras Art Weekend initiative.

For further informtion, please contact T: 044-2436 1224 E: enquiries@inkocentre.org.


This is a physical event and all prescribed Covid-related protocols will be strictly followed.

Annyeong Station, is a platform in our infotainment section, for conversation, interaction and exchange. With a focus on Korean popular culture, this online space will include two segments:

K-factor: with freewheeling discussions, fun facts, demos and personalised conversations, with invited guests and K-enthusiasts, on K-pop, food, drama and fashion.

K-lounge: with curated interactions with industry specialists and influencers.

In the third episode of Season 2 of the K-lounge section on Annyeong Station we present an engaging conversation that focuses on the phenomnal appeal of K-pop. We present Jeanie Y. Chang in conversation with Puja Talwar, Executive Editor, Lifestyle and Entertainment, Good Times.

Jeanie is a global social media influencer known as Noona's Noonchi® where she deep dives into Korean dramas from a mental health perspective.

What makes K-drama such an endearing, enduring phenomenon? How do K-dramas deal with issues of mental health and help alleviate feelings of stress isolation and dysfunctionality? Join us for an insightful, sparkling conversation!

Jeanie Chang is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Founder of Your Change Provider, PLLC®, an interdisciplinary practice founded on solutions and her unique framework Cultural Confidence®. Jeanie is a bestselling author on Amazon and an accomplished international speaker for corporations, community organizations, and colleges on topics such as burnout, resilience, mindfulness, stress, and mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Jeanie is also a McKinsey & Company external faculty, executive leadership coach, DEIB consultant, and subject matter expert for media outlets around the world. In addition, she is a global social media influencer known as Noona's Noonchi® where she deep dives into Korean Dramas from a mental health perspective.

Jeanie founded the Cultural Confidence® programme which she created to provide psycho-education in all sectors from corporate to schools. She has presented her trademarked curriculum for corporations such as Cisco, Eventbrite, Hallmark, J. Crew, Lenovo, Microsoft, Mondelez International, the NFL, Salesforce and SC Johnson. She has also spearheaded her program for non-profits including the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), the Council of Korean Americans (CKA), The Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE), and the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP). Her first book, A is for Authentic: Not for Anxieties or for Straight A's, hit #1 international bestseller on Amazon.

She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) with experience in grief and trauma. In addition, she holds specialized training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Jeanie followed a calling in mental health after a diverse career path. She first started as a broadcast journalist in Washington, DC, then went on to attend business school. Her work in the corporate sector includes business operations, marketing, public relations, and client success management.

An active volunteer in the Asian community, Jeanie serves as Director of Make Us Visible, NC, President and Board Chair of Asian Mental Health Collective (AMHC) and co-leads the Women's Affinity Group for the Council of Korean Americans. She is also the founder of the Self-Care & Wellness program for NAAAP. Recently, Jeanie founded her own non-profit organization called, Authentic Self-Care & Wellness, Inc.

For her own self-care, Jeanie loves watching K-Dramas and kayaking with her husband of 24 years. She also relishes any time she can spend with their four children ages 15 - 22.

Puja Talwar is the Executive Editor, Lifestyle and Entertainment, Good Times with over 25 years' experience in Broadcast Journalism. Puja is a Content Creator, Show Host, Moderator and a published Writer. She hosts the popular series 'Candid Conversations With Puja Talwar' on You Tube and a podcast titled ‘Entertainment Unlimited on Spotify. She lives for coffee, travel and K dramas!

To join this conversation, click on https://www.instagram.com/inkocentre/ on Wednesday, 16 November 2022 at 7.30 p.m. IST.

For further informtion, please contact T: 044-2436 1224 E: enquiries@inkocentre.org.


This is a physical event and all prescribed COVID-related protocols will be strictly followed.

Presented by Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA)

Supported by The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chennai, Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) & InKo Centre.

A fun, infotainment event coming your way! Connect with all thing’s K- K-food, K-cosmetics; K-consumer goods; K-music & dance, quizzes about Korea; visual information about Korean popular content and vignettes of all that this vibrant country has to offer. For 4 days in Chennai, at EA Mall with shopping kiosks; event and cultural zones and spaces for information provision and interactions.

For further information, please contact: KOTRA T: 044 2847 2281 or InKo Centre T: 044-2436 1224 E: enquiries@inkocentre.org.


This is a physical event and all prescribed COVID-related protocols will be strictly followed.

Presented in association with

Korea National Contemporary Dance Company

Dance on Film is a specially curated series of contemporary dance projects developed by the Korean National Contemporary Dance Company. The series, co-presented by InKo Centre and the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company, will comprise a total of 5 films, varied in theme and technique, to present some of the most exciting choreographers and dancers in Korea today. With the pandemic looming large, the films provide a window to the resilience of the artists in these unprecedented times, acknowledges the march of technology and the blurring of the real and the virtual and examines deeper fundamental questions of co-existence between Man and Nature and of the possibility of transformation and resurgence through art.

In the second episode of Season 2 of this series, we present Trace of Time.

In a work previously presented by the Korean National Contemporary Dance Company in 2021, choreographer Kim Bora perceived the 'body' as a space through the senses of the body, dealing with the theme of 'time and space' that change accordingly. Trace of Time showcases the experience of 'time and space' that are transformed by reconstructing this unique idea into visual language, through the medium of film, in a way that is diferent from that of a stage performance.

Choreographer's Note

'For man, everything is constructed and everything is natural.' - Maurice Merleau Ponty.

How do we connect ourselves with Nature, when Nature appears in front of our eyes? Nature and the senses of the body facing it, senses and landscapes leave traces as much as an accumulation of experience over time. Scattered times do not disappear but become traces of the body and space, expanding infinitely.

Credits

Choreography Kim Bora
Director Iwa
Cinematography Lee Jinhyuk
Producer Kim Minje
Assistant Director Yu Sungwon
Music Song Youngnam
Dance Kim Hansol, Park Sangmi, Park Seonhwa, Song Seunguk, Choi Soyoung

About Korea National Contemporary Dance Company

Established in 2010, the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company (KNCDC) is Korea's only national contemporary dance company. Through dance created in collaboration with artists with exceptional creative capacities, KNCDC aspires to create Korean contemporary dance which tells stories of history, society and daily lives of contemporaneity that can be appreciated across regions and by all generations.

As an organization that specializes in the creation of new productions, KNCDC seeks to realise diverse contemporary values in dance performances. KNCDC commissions productions by inviting choreographers with authentic artistic directions and by selecting the most suitable dancers for each project. Furthermore, by protecting the rights of the artists, KNCDC enables artists to freely express individuality within the dance company’s stable system.

KNCDC continues to work to provide the best environment for dance where the artists and audience can grow together. And as a platform where artists and audiences meet, the company hopes to form a healthy ecosystem where diverse values can coexist. KNCDC plans to enrich the lives of citizens through their experiences with dance at close proximity, in their day-to-day life.

To view the film click on www.inkocentre.org/Virtual_Connect_Cultural_Collaborations.html on Wednesday, 23 November 2022 at 6.00 p.m. IST.

The link to view the film will be accessible until Wednesday, 30 November 2022.