Project 365

Project 365^{[1][2][3][4][5]} is an initiative by EtP (Ekalokam Trust for Photography) to create and preserve photographic visuals of the ancient Indian culture and contemporary lifestyle of Tiruvannamalai a South Indian ancient town in Tamil Nadu. Project 365 is part of the long term vision to initiate public photo art projects in the rural parts of the tri-Sangam period Tamilakam, now meagerly represented in a geography comprising modern Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and parts of Andhra Pradesh. The second phase of the project will document the Sangam period ports Muziris (believed to be in Kondungallur), Tindis (believed to be in Kadalundi) and Korkai. The third phase of the project will be document the culture and lifestyle alongside river Cauveri.^[6] Project 365 Tiruvannamalai began on 15 August 2014. The multicultural aspects of Tiruvannamalai is being documented by the Project 365 photographers using diversified traditional analog photography and modern digital techniques and processes. The yearlong project will culminate in a traveling exhibition and a publication. The Project 365 photographs will be archived for public use and research. EtP will partner with the local government / other agencies / museums and create a permanent public exhibition space in Tiruvannamalai.

Photography in Tiruvannamalai

Tiruvannamalai has a rich photography history. Photographers including Indian photographers PRS Mani,^[7] Dr. T.N.Krishnaswamy,^[8] G Govind Welling,^[9] American photographer Eliot Elisofon, French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, and many other known, and unknown, photographers have created several bodies of photography works of Sri. Ramana Maharishi and Tiruvannamalai. These images have been widely circulated and published in India and abroad.^[10][11][12] Few of these photographs are being archived and preserved by Sri Ramana Ashram,^[13] Tiruvannamalai.

Project Director

Project 365 is led by contemporary Indian photographer Abul Kalam Azad a.k.a AKA. He is one of the foremost exponents of art-photography in India. His works are widely exhibited in India and abroad. AKA has a decade of experience as a photo-journalist with Press Trust India^[14] and other prominent newspaper agencies and magazines. He also received the prestigious Charles Wallace Award^[15] (fellowship 1995), UK and studied photography in the Surrey Institute of Art and Design University College.^[16] He left the promising Photojournalism|photo-journalist career to follow his passion ‘photography’. In the year 2000, AKA set up an art studio ‘Mayalokam’ in the inspiring labyrinth of ancient warehouses, situated between the Bazaar Road and the Harbour front, Fort Cochin. Soon, Mayalokam studio became a cultural hub for local, national and international artists and enthusiasts in various disciplines. Eventually, Mayalokam became ‘Mayalokam Art Collective’^[17] to include other artists. AKA had been a frequent to Tiruvannamalai since mid 1990s and in the year 2010, Azad moved permanently to Tiruvannamalai. He is one of the founders of EtP, a Trust dedicated to conserving, archiving and protecting contemporary photography. He is also the recipient of senior fellowship (2012 - 2013) from Ministry of Culture,^[18] Government of India.

Project 365 photographers and partners

Photographers Sadanand Menon,^[19] Ram Rahman, Dinesh Khanna,^[20] Aditya Arya, Waswo X. Waswo, Thierry Cardon,^[21] Ramu Aravindan, Deepak John Mathew, Alex Fernandes,^[22] Pa. Madhavan, Shibu Arakkal, Selva Prakash Lakshmanan, RR. Srinivasan, Ami Gupta, Anurag Sharma, Arnav Rastogi, Bhagyashri Patki, Bharathiaraja R, Biju Ibrahim, Iqbal MK, Jiby Charles, Leo James, Maveeran Somasundaram, Paneer Selvam, Pee Vee,^[23] Radhi Jangla, Seema Krishnakumar, Senthil Kumaran Rajendran, Shiv K, Thiagarajan R, Varun Gupta and Vinay DV are part of Project 365 collective. EtP has networked with SPACES,^[24] Chennai; 1 Shanthi Road,^[25] Bangalore; Aksgar online magazine,^[26] Goa-CAP;^[27] India Photo Archive Foundation, Gurgeon; Vamsi Books, Tiruvannamalai; Thalam, Bangalore; Kannadi, Madurai and Vetri digitals, Tiruvannamalai.

References