chennai in recent years chennai photo biennale cpb the twomonthlong celebration of photography and art has emerged as a distinct lens clarifying the role of imagery in important junctures against landmark physical spaces around important conversations and complimenting powerful films and video art as shuchi kapoor one of the founding members of cpb says it is important that we relook at photography go beyond the frame on the wall or on instagram to a language that reflects the dystopias around us environmental degradation migration things we learn about every day on the internet and newsprint through this edition we are enabling newer ways to think and converse about themwhich is why after a year of being withheld cpbs third edition explores the hybrid format to its most creative potential with photobased work and the literature and conversations around them presented in five compelling formats physical shows digital shows online journals newsprint and as films the edition is titled maps of disquiet and curated to reflect the exigencies of our times resisting majoritarian impositions ecological collapse and technological dystopias it has been curated by arko datto a visual artist from kolkata boaz levin artist and curator from berlin bhooma padmanabhan curator from chennai and kerstin meincke curator and researcher from essen germanythe physical shows are open at seven handpicked venues forum art gallery ashvitas gallery roja muthiah research library madras literary society goethe institutmmb chennai with dakshinachitra and the government museum showcasing the foundations projects the digital showcase opened earlier this week featuring 37 exhibiting artists along with their second journal and podcasts we looked at it as a way for diverse audiences to really take in the work pause and reflect on them at a time when we are hurrying past the deluge on instagram says shuchikolkatas documentary photographer soumya sankar bose for instance has created a body of work on the marichjhapi massacre which can be viewed along with a film on the event also made by him andreas langfeld and sarabhi ravichandrans photo work explores the keeladi excavation viewing it as a process of shaping and negotiating cultural identity and historical narrativesin the coming weeks virtual guided tours photo book launches interaction with jurors and student engagement programmes will be presented on the hybrid model leading all the way up to february 6 2022 to navigate the events and learn more go to chennaiphotobiennalecom