The exhibition traces some of the significant changes and developments in the institution and rites of marriage in France through some select objects: the wedding invitation, the menu of the wedding feast, the changing sites of the wedding: from church to the townhall and some elements of the ceremony, such as the bride’s bouquet of flowers, the wedding dress etc. The exhibition aims to present a reflection on social transformations and values in France since the end of the 19th century

 

Curated by Arundhati Virmani

 

Inauguration Mr. Bertrand de Hartingh, Director, French Institute in India on Tuesday, 21 February 2017 at 18:30

chair: Shri Bharat Wariavwalla

 

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

 

THURSDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2017 AT 18:30

Public and Private: Histories of French Wedding Rituals

Illustrated lecture by Dr. Arundhati Virmani, Indian historian who teaches at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Marseille
Chair: Dr. Ratna Sudarshan

 

MONDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2017 AT 18:30

Princely Weddings at the French Court in Versailles

Illustrated lecture by Dr. Jean Boutier, French historian

 

(Collaboration: Centre Norbert Elias, Marseille; and MuCern - Museum of Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean, Marseille)  

 

 

 

Speakers: Shri Sitaram Yechury, MP; Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar, MP; H.E. Mr. Oscar Martinez Cordoves, Ambassador of Cuba; and Professor Prabhat Patnaik

 

Moderator: Shri Sanjeev Prakash

 

 

 

The Ustad and His Sitar

Ustad Shujaat Khan’s magical journey with his sitar

 

Ustaad Shujaat Khan will speak on his learning process, about his noted lineage which will be interspersed with his own recital. He will also interact with the audiences through via Q & A

 

Chair: Smt Manjari Sinha, noted music critic 

 

 My Environment and Cancer?

Series Moderator

Dr. Naresh Gupta, Director-Professor, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi

 

Keynote Speaker :Dr. Arthur Frank, Professor, School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA

 

Speakers: Prof. B.C. Das, Chairman, Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine & Stem Cell Research; Dr. K.S. Bhagotia, CMO (SAG), Delhi Govt.; Prof. Rajni Sharma, Asst. Prof., Pediatric Endocrine Division, AIIMS, New Delhi; and Dr. T.K. Joshi, Consultant and Expert in Occupational and Environmental Medicine

 

(Collaboration: Health Environment Foundation in association with Consumers India)

 

 

Challenges for India's Defence and Diplomacy in the 21st Century

Speaker: Ambassador Jayant Prasad, Director General of Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis 

 

Chair and Moderator:  Shri Vijay Naik, Convener, IAFAC  

 

(Collaboration:  Indian  Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents)

 

(30 mins; 2014; BluRay; English & with subtitles)

Directed & produced by Cathy Stevulak who will introduce the film with Leonard Hill, producer

Co- producer: Catherine Masud

 

Recipient of the Audience Choice Best Short Documentary Award, Gig Harbour Film Festival 2014; the Audience Choice Best Short Film Award, Friday Harbor Film Festival 2015; and Best Short Documentary Award, Female Eye Film Festival 2016

 

Followed by a discussion with

Speakers: Smt Gulshan Nanda, Ms Laila Tyabji and Ms Cathy Stevulak

Chair: Smt Ritu Sethi, Director, Craft Revival Trust

 

An intimate portrait of 85-year old Bengali artist, Surayia Rahman, who transforms the quilt-work tradition of kantha to create possibilities for a better life for her family and hundreds of destitute mothers in Bangladesh. Over three decades, as their art becomes prized possessions of connoisseurs around the world, Surayia Rahman and the artisans overcome their hardships with needle and thread, stitch by stitch. Threads takes us on a journey into the heart of an artist and illuminates an unconventional path to dignity and independence

 

(Collaboration: Delhi Crafts Council)

 

(28 min; 2016; dvd; English)

Screening of film and talk by Dr. Beheroze Shroff, Department of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Irvine 

Introduction: Dr. Lotika Varadarajan

 

Scholar of the Sidi communities in Gujarat, Beheroze Shroff has made five documentaries on contemporary Sidi culture and spiritual practice, which have been screened at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, the Max Planck Institute in Germany, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York and at the Nairobi and Zanzibar International Arts and Music Festivals, among others. She is currently co-editing a volume on the African presence in South Asia.

 

Sidis in Gujarat discuss their tradition of the fakir or itinerant holy man who goes through neighborhoods chanting, singing and blessing those who give alms. Older Sidis express anxieties about passing on this tradition, especially the playing of the malunga, a sacred musical instrument of Sidis

 

 

 

By Partho Sarothy from Kolkata, disciple of Ustad Dhyanesh Khan and Pt. Ravi Shankar and recipient of the Sanskriti – Pt. Vasant Thakar Memorial Fellowship  

 

Ashis Paul will accompany him on tabla

 

(Collaboration: Sanskriti Pratishthan)

 

 

 

 

 

Speaker: Shri Arvind Kumar, prominent writer, editor and translator who was the first Editor of Hindi Readers' Digest-Sarvottam and the Hindi film magazine Madhuri. He also served in Sarita and Caravan magazines. His biggest contribution to literature is the compilation of the Hindi Thesaurus and Dictionary titled Samantar Kosh. He has also translated several books from English to Hindi

 

(Collaboration: Indian Society for Authors)

 

 

 

 

Jatin Das and Prayag Shukla

 

(Collaboration: The Raza Foundation)