FOCUS ON WESTERN CLASSICAL MUSIC COMPOSERS

Dmitri Shostakovich, A Man of Many Faces
(56 min; 2015; English)
Director: Reiner E. Moritz
Narrator: John Hurt
Pianist: Daniil Trifonov
Conductor, violinist: Rudolf Barshai

Documentary on Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the 20th century's most brilliant and fascinating composers. With British actor John Hurt as narrator, the director, Reiner Moritz examines Shostakovich's life, focusing in on two events in particular: the 1936 banning of his highly successful opera Lady Mabeth of the Mtsensk District, and the composer's labelling as a "formalist and cosmopolitan" in 1948. Despite such setbacks, Shostakovich went on to pursue a resilient and fulfilling career that testifies to the power of art in the face of a dictatorial terror regime. In telling his story, Mortiz weaves together rare footage of the composer himself talking and performing his Concerto for Piano, Trumpet, and Strings with captivating performances of his 15 symphonies and 6 concertos by Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra and filmed excerpts of Lady Macbeth and his quartets.

https://youtu.be/hvUt-Uc_KA0

Patti Smith: Dream of Life (USA)
(109 min; 2008; English)
Director: Steven Sebring

An intimate portrait of poet, painter, musician and singer Patti Smith that mirrors the essence of the artist herself.

https://youtu.be/5Nyj7YIVNlQ

Ambedkar, Stamps and the Indian Republic

Illustrated lecture by Prof. Vikas Kumar, Faculty, School of Development, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru and author of the forthcoming book Waiting for a Christmas Gift and Other Essays and co-author of Numbers in India’s Periphery: The Political Economy of Government Statistics (Cambridge University Press: 2020)

FILMS OF THE SPIRIT
Curated by Rajiv Mehrotra

Exemplar 
(55 min; 2021; English)
Produced by The Bahá’i World Centre, Haifa

Screening will be followed by a discussion with Dr. A.K. Merchant, National Trustee/Secretary, Lotus Temple and Bahá’i Community of India

Exemplar follows the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Head of the Bahá’i Faith from 1892-1921, later canonized as the last of three ‘central figures’ of the religion. A sense of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s unique function as a shelter, a shield, a stronghold for all humanity is captured in vignettes of some of the souls whose lives were transformed through an association with Him. The film reflects a few of the universal principles embodied, both in word and deed, by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá – principles that animate a global movement of individuals, communities and institutions.

(Collaboration: Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama)

 

The Second Wife and Other Stories

By Nandini C. Sen (Om Books International: 2021)

Moderator: Prof Malashri Lal, Academician and Author

Speakers: Shri K. N. Shrivastava, Director, India International Centre (Chair) ; Prof. Aruna Chakravarti, Academician, Author and Translator; Prof. GJV Prasad, Academician, Author and Translator ; Ms. Rumi Malik, Writer and Broadcaster ;  Dr. Nandini C Sen,  Academician and Author of the Book

Saving the World? Reflections on UNESCO’s Mid Century Mission in Conflict

Illustrated lecture by Prof. Lynn Meskell, Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) Professor, University of Pennsylvania and Richard D. Green Professor of Anthropology, School of Arts and Sciences, Professor, Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, Weitzman School of Design, and Curator, Middle East and Asia sections, Penn Museum. Employing archival and ethnographic analysis, her award-winning book A Future in Ruins: UNESCO, World Heritage, and the Dream of Peace (OUP, 2018) reveals UNESCO’s early forays into a one-world archaeology and its later commitments to global heritage

Chair: Prof. Madhavan K. Palat

At the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, UNESCO finds itself at an impasse, faced with the impossibility of calling powerful nations to account. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the most recent example. Yet earlier instances of inertia include international conflicts in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Crimea. More able to publicly repudiate non-state actors, such as Ansar Dine or Islamic State, than some of its own high-profile member states, UNESCO has increasingly walked a diplomatic tightrope and prioritized geopolitical alliances, financial considerations, and tactical relationships.
 

Climate Change and Low Carbon India

Illustrated lecture by Dr. A.K. Jain, former Commissioner (Planning), Delhi Development Authority, former Member, Committee of the Ministry of Urban Development on DDA (2015), former member of UN Habitat (2007-12), a member of the Editorial Board of International Journal of Environmental Studies (UK), and is the author several books 

Chair: Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director IIC
 

Gallery Walk Through

Conducted by Vikas Kumar, curator of the exhibition
 
(Collaboration: Azim Premji University, Bengaluru)

Baba Saheb: An Extraordinary Philatelic Journey (1966-2022)

The exhibition brings together a unique archive on the philatelic afterlife of Ambedkar (1966-2022), his journey from being the first Dalit personality to be honoured with a commemorative postage stamp to becoming a key philatelic icon on the country. On view are commemorative and definitive postage stamps, information brochures, first day covers, postal calendars, inland letter cards and other postal material to throw fresh light on the shifting evolution of the official and popular imagination of Ambedkar

Curated by Vikas Kumar 

Inauguration by Dr. Gopal Guru, Editor, Economic and Political Weekly on Tuesday, 7 June 2022 at 18:30

Exhibition on view: 08 to 21 June  2022 11:00 to 19:00 daily

As part of the exhibition, there will be two related programmes in the Art Gallery:

11 JUNE 2022 AT 18:30 

Ambedkar, Stamps and the Indian Republic

Illustrated lecture by Prof. Vikas Kumar, Faculty, School of Development, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru and author of the forthcoming book Waiting for a Christmas Gift and Other Essays and co-author of Numbers in India’s Periphery: The Political Economy of Government Statistics (Cambridge University Press: 2020)
 

20 JUNE 2022 AT 18:00 

Gallery Walk Through

Conducted by Vikas Kumar, curator of the exhibition

(Collaboration: Azim Premji University, Bengaluru)

IIC Diamond Jubilee Discussions on Science
 
Science of the Pandemic
Opening Remarks: Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director IIC
 
Lead speakers: Prof. P. Balaram, biochemist and former Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru will speak on Unravelling the Science of the Pandemic; and Dr. Krishna Ella, Founder and Chairman, Bharat Biotech on From the Virus to the Vaccine
 
Followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Renu Swarup, former Secretary to the Government of India, Dept. of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology
 
Panelists: Dr. Pramod Garg, Executive Director, Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, Faridabad who will speak on Understanding our Immune System; Dr. Sanjay Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. on New Technology Platforms; Dr. Sudhanshu Vrati, immunologist, microbiologist and Director, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad who will speak on The evolving mutations; and Dr. Madhu Dikshit, cardiovascular biologist, pharmacologist and former Director, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow who will speak on Natural product based treatment
 
With the onset of the Pandemic in early 2020, the world focused its attention on scientists and researchers for finding science based solutions to fight this war. A tiny RNA virus brought the world to a grinding halt and impacted the health, economy and livelihood of mankind. India’s Science and Technology based response has been phenomenal and has given the country an elated level of confidence to face future challenges. SARS-CoV-2 is not the last virus we are fighting a war against, with the evolving virus and its numerous mutations there will be a continued focus on science based solutions to address the challenges of human health. The discussion will focus on some of these key issues and also the learnings which the pandemic has given us for handling other health priorities and any future pandemics