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Connecting Papers: Photobooks from South Asia | Exhibition Introduction

An intriguing photography book exhibition titled "Connecting Papers: Photobooks from South Asia" is about to make its debut in Hong Kong, marking the exciting prelude to the 3rd edition of the Hong Kong Photobook Festival in the coming year. Organized by Lumenvisum and curated by Ms. Anshika Varma, the founder of India's Offset Projects, who specially traveled to Hong Kong, together with Ms. Michelle Chan, one of the founders of local art group Phokobo, the exhibition draws together three South Asian initiatives by inviting them to bring photographic works from their respective communities. It presents the diversity and richness of works by independent artists and photography publishing groups in the South Asian region from a unique perspective. The exhibition explores the connection between photographic art and South Asian culture, history, and social issues, leading the audience into the wondrous world of photography books.

Photobooks are regarded as artworks that connect photographs with paper pages, offering diverse narratives and exquisite designs. Those who peruse photobooks can delve deep into the content, design, layout, and material expressions of artistic creations. The essence of photobooks goes beyond photography itself; they are not merely exhibitions displayed on paper but possess a unique charm.

Over the past 20 years, photobooks from the South Asian region have gained prominence, showcasing a sense of urgency that transcends time and space in exploring the possibilities of books. The encounters among photography book creators not only symbolize the beginning of relationships but also serve as an inspiration for coexistence, sharing, and dialogue with readers. Curator Ms. Michelle Chan expressed her deep fascination with the power of photobooks to connect people and her admiration for the diverse community associated with photobooks in South Asia. These communities demonstrate a keen sense of producing photobooks, dexterity in skills, and reflection and insight into the books themselves. These include, but are not limited to Offset Projects from India for their collaborative book-making, photo.circle and Nepal Picture Library for their dedication to archiving cultural history, and Tasveer’s pioneering efforts in Pakistan. These communities engage in dialogues through the evolution and development of photography, exploring identity construction through themes of family and offering unique satirical, critical, and investigative perspectives on patriarchal systems and religious taboos.

Another curator, Ms. Anshika Varma, not only founded Offset Projects, a significant organization promoting South Asian photography books and international exchanges, but is also a photographer and publisher herself. She believes that the titles presented by each of the initiatives are witness to books that question history making, refute social rigidities and assert cross-border solidarities through collaborations and friendships that redefine the boundaries within South Asia. The artists working within these ideas are keen to find intersections of photography with scientific theory, philosophy and its effect on the growth of a regional visual language. For many, the book is a site of performance, pages that offer a stage to challenge societal and gender norms, give artists room to find acts of affirmations in the process of making their books.

This exhibition is like a "living book object," vividly showcasing the importance and influence of photobooks in contemporary society to the Hong Kong audience. During the exhibition, Lumenvisum will host related activities, including photobook workshop, curator-guided tours, photobook sharing session, and online panel discussion, inviting the audience to engage in conversations and share experiences with curators and artists.

Exhibition Details

• Connecting Papers: Photobooks from South Asia
• Date: 12 Jul - 11 Aug 2024
• Time: Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00-13:00, 14:00-18:00, Closed on Mondays (except Public Holiday)
• Venue: Lumenvisum
• Address: L2-02, JCCAC, 30 Pak Tin St, Shek Kip Mei, Hong Kong

Information Source: PR