PHYSICAL PROGRAMME

An exhibition of paintings in oil 
By Jyoti Nagpal from Delhi

The exhibition will be inaugurated by Dr. Karan Singh on Tuesday, 29 March 2022 at 18:30

Artist Bio

Film on the exhibition  | Click here to watch

The Good Earth
Artist’s Perspective

I have a deep fascination for dense foliage and its changing colours in different seasons, which, to me are symbolic of the eternal cycle of life. I have watched the joyous tenderness of new life in spring turning into strong and lush fullness of summer, uncaring and abundant in its glory, its gradual maturing into the rich colours of autumn. And its graceful softening into the greyness of winter, having lived life to the full, ultimately making way for the new. In so doing, Nature seems to celebrate life in the simple acceptance of the discipline of existence.
Nature represents for me movement, mellowness, warmth, harmony, fulfilment, exuberance, and a celebration of life, indeed the very joie de vivre.
The recent pandemic made everyone painfully aware of the fragile nature of our ecosystem. It reminded us that Mother Nature has a lot of patience. She sends repeated warnings to humankind against misuse, abuse, and overuse of her resources before finally unleashing its fury. The pandemic was a rude realization of how helpless we are against the power of Nature. At the same time, Nature is benevolent and forgiving. She responds instantly to positive efforts of humanity to rectify mistakes.
This collection of paintings is an attempt to portray the beauty of Nature as I observe and perceive it. The lockdown period opened quite another aspect of Nature to me. It was a time for introspection while being cooped up inside homes, a time when one could hear the silence outside, when the skies became blue again instead of polluted grey, when mountain ranges became visible on the horizon, when deer and peacocks ventured out to reclaim their space, when new varieties of birds arrived in flocks, when colourful butterflies reappeared, when squirrels scampered up to you to pick food from your palm. It was a time for resurgence and renewal for Nature. The lockdown was simultaneously a tragedy and an awakening which I have tried to portray in my own way in many paintings of this series.

PHYSICAL PROGRAMME

Chinese Porcelain in India

Illustrated lecture by Dr. Aparajita Sharma, Assistant Archeologist, Archaeological Survey of India

Chair: Dr. Alok Tripathi, Additional Director General, Archaeological Survey of India

Chinese porcelain, a refined and hard ceramic was one of the significant items of import from China. This high-fired white ceramic, known as t’zǔ in Chinese, was famous for its transparent glossy shine like a cowrie shell. The belief that porcelain can detect poison in the food made it a must-have item in the royal kitchens. The import of porcelain in India from China commenced in around 10th century CE. During the 11th-12th century CE, trade of porcelain expanded as it became popular among royals and rich merchants of India. 

The talk will focus on the varieties of porcelain discovered at different archaeological sites in India. It will highlight the expansion of porcelain trade in India during different periods. 

PHYSICAL PROGRAMME

FILMS ON ARTISTS

S.H. Raza, The Very Essence (51 min)

Director: Laurent Bregeat
Produced by Lalit Kala Akademi

The film will be introduced by Shri Ashok Vajpeyi

The film is a window to Raza’s life in France, and how he kept the Indian element in his works alive. It is made up of a series of conversations with the artist bringing out his ideology, the meaning of his art and how he faced criticism, especially for the repetitive use of the bindu.

(Collaboration: The Raza Foundation)

PHYSICAL PROGRAMME

Classical Music: A Divine Power of Yoga

By Kumud Diwan (New Delhi, Om Publications: 2021)

Discussants: Dr. Sonal Mansingh, Member of Parliament and well-known artist; Smt Bijoylaxmi Hota, Yoga expert and author of Yoga for Busy People; Dr. Subhadra Desai, senior Hindustani vocalist and author; and Dr. Kumud Diwan, Hindustani vocalist and author of the book

Chair: Dr. Karan Singh

PHYSICAL PROGRAMME

Panel discussion: Air Pollution: Its Impacts and Mitigation

Lead speaker: Prof. Gufran Beig, Ashutosh Mukherjee Chair Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru 

Discussants: Prof. Sachchida  Nand Tripathi, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur; Dr. Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi; Dr. Shinjini Bhatnagar, Paediatrician & Professor of Eminence, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute

Moderator: Dr. Shailesh Nayak, Life Trustee, IIC

PHYSICAL PROGRAMME

The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India

By S.Y. Quraishi (HarperCollins, New Delhi: 2021)

Discussants: Ms K. Sujatha Rao, former Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India; Ms Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, The Population Foundation of India; and Shri S.Y. Quraishi, former Chief Election Commission of India and author of the book

Chair: Shri N.N. Vohra, President, IIC
 

PHYSICAL PROGRAMME

An exhibition celebrating the creativity and imagination of 100 young artists at art galleries across the city simultaneously

On view at the Centre are sculptural works by Ritika Anand (Central Zone); Neema Ram Jangid, Pradeep Jogdand & Sunil Kumar Kumawat (West Zone); Kanchan Karjee & Vivek Das (East Zone); and Pradeep Kumar DM (South Zone)

Conceptualised and curated by Akhilesh and coordinated by Manish Pushkale along with a team of regional curators – Meera Manezes, North Zone; Gita Hudson, South Zone; Jason Thacker, West Zone; and Ushmita Sahu, East Zone

Opening on Saturday, 26 March 2022 at 16.30

This exhibition is part of Raza 100 organised in collaboration with The Raza Foundation. The exhibition of 100 young artists will be simultaneously on view five different venues across Delhi

PHYSICAL PROGRAMME

Khayal Histories: An Exploration

Illustrated lecture by Partho Datta, music scholar

The talk will examine Khayal history by scholars in the past and explore possibilities of fresh approaches. The dominant vocal tradition of Khayal has eclipsed other genres in raga music. Khayal is also identified with 'Hindustani classical' today. The focus of popular Khayal histories has long been the legendary figure of Amir Khusro and the rich legacy of the music repertoire. This talk will contextualise the historical material, focus on social histories and problems that historians of music confront today while approaching this oral tradition.

Partho Datta is Professor, School of Arts & Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University 

PHYSICAL PROGRAMME

Hindustani Vocal Recital

By Surashree Ulhas Joshi from Pune, disciple of Guru Veena Sahasrabuddhe, Gwalior Gharana
Accompanists: Meenal Nandedkar (harmonium); and Koshr Korde (tabla)

At 19:00
Sattriya Recital

By Meenakshi Medhi from Delhi, disciple of the late Guru Jibanjit Dutta and Guru Haricharan Bhuyan Borbayan

PHYSICAL PROGRAMME

India – Africa Relations: Changing Horizons

By Rajiv Bhatia (New Delhi, Routledge India Taylor & Francis: 2021)

Discussants: Prof. Rajen Harshe, former Vice Chancellor, University of Allahabad and a leading scholar on African and International Relations; Ms Ruchita Beri, Senior Research Associate and Coordinator, Africa, Latin America, Caribbean and Unite Nations Centre, MP-IDSA; Shri Suhas Borker, Editor, Citizens First TV (CFTV); and Amb. Rajiv Bhatia, Distinguished Fellow, Gateway House, former Ambassador and author of the book

Chair: Shri N.N. Vohra, President, IIC