Clik | Edition 30 | September 2023.
We are delighted to connect with you through live events at physical spaces, via hybrid modes or virtually at the click of a button! We invite you to join us, whenever you are ready, or from wherever you are, on myriad creative journeys, where with valued partners in India and in Korea, we explore new pathways and experiences, the magic of live performances and exhibitions or engage with those newly imagined from creation to reception and distribution on digital platforms. In this edition, as we open our cultural calendar, through a combination of phygital presentations, we invite you to evocative journeys and sensory experiences that though moored in local culture, connect and resonate with audiences worldwide!
We hope, with this e-digest, to stay meaningfully connected with you, to discover and engage with the unique, local characteristics as well as the shared, global dimensions of the dynamic, ongoing intercultural dialogue between India and Korea.
Curated by
Vaishnavi Ramanathan
This exhibition features five Chennai-based artists who use the self as the starting point to explore personal, political and social worlds. The exhibition displays artworks that feature the self both in literal and metaphoric ways. As the curator states, 'through portraiture and metaphorical images, these artists use the self as a conduit to connect with others and to explore personal, socio, political and cultural realities of the contemporary world'.
Alamu Kumaresan
Koil Pitchai Prabhakar
Rohini Mani
Solairaj R
Yuvaraj K
On popular demand, this exhibition has been extended.
(except Sundays and published holidays).
For further information, please contact InKo Centre - T: 044 24361224; E: enquiries@inkocentre.org.
Mehendi is the traditional art of painting the hands, feet or body with a paste made from powdered, dried leaves of the henna plant. It is typically applied during weddings and other festivals. The Henna paste symbolizes good health and prosperity. It was originally used for its natural cooling properties for the people living in hot climates. It leaves an orange to cherry-red colour depending on the time the designs are left on to dry. Henna is also used as a safer alternative to hair dye hair, as well as to dye nails and fabrics like silk, wool, and leather.
On popular demand, we are delighted to offer mehendi classes by an experienced tutor at InKo Centre.
Asha Mehta, is a professional artist specializing in mehendi, crafts and painting with over 40 years of experience. She has trained more than 1000 students, many of whom are professional-level mehendi artists themselves. She has arranged annual several mehendi events in Chennai and has also travelled around India and abroad for wedding mehendi ceremonies.
The class begins from the 4th of September 2023.
Classes on : Monday and Wednesday
Timing : 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.
Duration : 1 month
Ingredients used : Organic mehendi leaves, eucalyptus oil and water.
Limited seats available. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
For further information, please contact InKo Centre - T: 044 24361224; E: enquiries@inkocentre.org.
Presented in association with
Influenced by K-pop and K-Drama, more people have begun learning Korean as a foreign language, making it the fastest growing language in India. If earlier, the reason to learn Korean was due to employment in Korean companies, now, it is more to understand K-content like K-pop and K-Dramas without the need to rely on subtitles.
We are the Chennai 1 King Sejong Institute and we offer quality Korean language courses, both online and offline, by qualified native Korean tutors.
Our next Korean language course begins on 11th September 2023.
Course details :
Beginner 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B.
Intermediate 1A, 1B.
In-person as well as online classes are conducted by qualified native Korean tutors.
Limited seats available. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
For further information, please contact InKo Centre - T: 044 24361224; E: enquiries@inkocentre.org
Presented in association with
We are delighted to present an evening of a screening of Indian & Korean dance-films curated by AuroApaar with an introduction to this emerging genre, followed by an audience Q&A.
The coming together of dance and film in new ways is exciting for artists and art lovers all over the world. Join the curators of South Asia's only dance-film festival'manifest dance-film festival' as they introduce key features of this radical genre through a selection of Korean and Indian dance-films.
The screening of films will be followed by an interactive session focussed on audience questions and comments. The session will be led by Abhyuday Khaitan, Program Head, Manifest Dance-film Festival. Abhyuday is a filmmaker whose works have screened at various festivals around the world. His last documentary won a 'Special Mention' at the MIFF 2022.
The following films will be screened:
Plastis
Movie : Plastis
Director : Puneet Jewandah (India)
Duration : 13 min.
Completion date : 2023.
Synopsis : Plastic is all over us and all around us. We can battle it,
embrace it, reject it, accept it.
Never Never Land
Movie : Never Never Land
Director : Jungjae Hur (South Korea)
Duration : 12 min.
Completion date : 2021.
Synopsis : Youngmin was preparing for a dance contest then, all of a
sudden, can't hear.
I am Paper
Movie : I Am Paper
Director : Sugandh Lamba (India)
Duration : 10 min.
Completion date : 2023.
Synopsis : A piece of paper floats around in the city and ends up in a
pile of rubbish. Will it be saved?
New Wave
Movie : New Wave
Director : Seungwan Jin (South Korea)
Duration : 5 min.
Completion date : 2022.
Synopsis : A great escape from femininity.
Pin Drop
Movie : Pin Drop
Director : Hyun-sang Cho (South Korea)
Duration : 8 min.
Completion date : 2020.
Synopsis : An ironic look at the social impact of mobile phones.
Launched in ‘22, Manifest is the only annual international dance-film festival South Asia. In its second edition in ‘23, Manifest received 242 dance-films from across 5 continents. Apart from screenings in the Alliance Francaise auditorium, Ponducherry there were hybrid cinema experiences, performances, workshops and masterclasses by dance and filmmaking experts. The aim of Manifest is to strengthen the Indian dance-filmmaking community and create new pathways for experimental cross-media work. .
A trans-media arts centre based near Pondicherry, AuroApaar is artist-run and not-for-profit. Its mission is to bridge heritage movement arts and digital media in new expressions. AuroApaar launched the only annual international dance-film festival in South Asia- the Manifest Dance-film Festival. It also runs the dance-filmmaking residential lab ‘the Manifest Dance-film Incubator’.
Abhyuday Khaitan has trained in filmmaking in India and the UK and has worked across mainstream and independent cinema as a cinematographer. He has directed award-winning short films and his latest feature-length documentary was awarded a ‘Special Mention’ at the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) ‘22. Abhyuday’s special interest is in the lyrical possibilities of film.
Ashavari Majumdar a.k.a Vajrasara is a movement artist trained in Kathak. She has studied English Literature up to PhD level and scripted and directed short films. Ashavari’s performance work has been supported by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, ICCR, IFA, Channel 4, Goethe Institut among others. Her interests are in the intersection of image, movement and text in post-colonial contexts.
Event duration: 2 hrs
Friday, 15 September 2023 at 6.00 p.m. at InKo Centre.
For further information, please contact InKo Centre - T: 044 24361224; E: enquiries@inkocentre.org.
Presented in association with
AccessMusic is a series that aims to provide talented emerging musicians with a space to share original scores and songwriting with those who relate to music as essential and energizing. The ambience is relaxed, intimate, so that the musical connect is immediate, meaningful and inclusive. Presented in collaboration with Unwind Centre, this series which is all about access to and through music, places creativity and musical prowess centre stage even while recognizing the power of the arts as a critical enabler, to foster inclusion and reflection to change hearts and minds.
Presenting virtuoso guitarist and award-winning composer, Matt Bacon in Edition 2 of the Access Music series, 2023.
Matt Bacon
Guitarist & composer Matt Bacon has served as the head Guitar Faculty at AR Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory since 2015. He plays classical, Spanish, acoustic, electric, bass & 12- string guitar and is the founder of Chennai GTR Fest, which he launched in 2020 performing the Indian premiere of Rodrigo’s “Concerto de Aranjuez” with the Sunshine Orchestra. He is endorsed by ProCraft India & Kepma Guitars and records for G2 Publishing, a subsidiary of Silent Beat Records based in Germany.
Top Prize winner at the Texas National Music Festival’s guitar competition, Matt has cultivated a diverse career ranging from teaching guitar, recording for Bollywood films, composing original music & arranging ragas for Western notation. Matt has travelled extensively through India & Asia, often as a performer and judge for music competitions. This included a stop in Thailand to play for the royal family, as well as the Bangalore International Guitar Festival, Instituto Cervantes, Taj Palace, Calcutta Classical Guitar Festival & Thai Isai Fest. Notably, he has recorded for AR Rahman & Anirudh for films “24,” “Atrangi Re,” and “Kolamavu Kokila,” among others.
As a composer, Matt has been commissioned by the San Antonio Guitar Foundation, with his pieces “Homenaje a Jimmy Page” and “Mystery & Elegy” debuted in the USA by GFA prizewinners Chad Ibison, TY Zheng and others in July 2022. Working with violinist Radhika Iyer, Matt’s arrangements of 12 raga-based etudes were published by Mel Bay in 2018 under the title “Elements of Indian Music, vol 1.”
Many of these compositions & arrangements are streaming on Amazon, where Matt is one of the few guitarists to simultaneously trend in both classical & jazz Editorial Playlists totaling 500,000 streams - lead by his 2021 release “Major Fifth.” Matt graduated with Dean’s List, merit scholarships, and career development grants from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. Matt had the privilege of studying music with Ernesto Tamayo, Julian Gray & David Tanenbaum – direct descendants of legendary guitarists Andres Segovia & Leo Brouwer.
Unwind Center, a renowned music institution in Chennai, has been nurturing young talent for over twenty years, offering comprehensive training in Drums, Guitar, Keyboard, Violin, and Vocals. The Center not only serves as a music school but also provides a platform for aspiring musicians to showcase their work, connect with peers, and share their compositions. Exodus, Chennai's leading music and event management organization, partners with Unwind Center, combining their expertise in producing music festivals, managing radio music, providing club entertainment, and artist management, ensuring unforgettable experiences for music enthusiasts.
Thursday, 21 September 2023 at 7.00 pm at InKo Centre.
The AccessMusic series is presented by InKo Centre, in association with Unwind Center, on a bi-monthly basis.
For further information, please contact InKo Centre - T: 044 24361224; E: enquiries@inkocentre.org.