National exhibition in Chennai to feature artists & photographers

CHENNAI: Tobu Ovimaan is having its 18th national exhibition, ‘Echo to Echo’ in the city on September 18 and 19.

The exhibition, which features several artists and photographers around the country, is an initiative by a 34-year-old Bengali art aficionado, Sankha Subhradey Biswas from Kolkata.

Speaking to DT Next about Tobu Ovimaan, he says, “This initiative came to be, in 2017, after I decided to quit the government job that tied me to my desk. It did not let me be creative as most of my work was very mechanical. I decided I wanted to do something in the field of art and for the people who are passionate about the craft. We had our first show in Kolkata and then we slowly started venturing out to other places like Raipur, Shimla, Delhi, Surat, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Chennai and lots more.”

Biswas says that in spite of the lockdown in 2020, that year’s edition ‘Chennai Artpop’, had a lot of artists showcasing their work. He says that a major chunk of the exhibition’s contribution is from Tamil Nadu and the people of Chennai.

“The people of Chennai are very forthcoming and enthusiastic. Their participation in our exhibitions has been massive. We have had several photographers and artists from Chennai,” he remarks.

Talking about the reason for this initiative he says, “In a country of several languages and cultures, we often don’t find the time and opportunity to interact with other cultures. I wanted such interaction to happen through the medium of art. When artists assemble at the respective venue, we ensure to initiate conversation and get the natural rhythm of things going to break the ice. This is another reason why we focus only on covering Indian states.”

‘Echo to Echo’ will feature a lot of budding and new artists and photographers in not only the city but also the country. The exhibition will take place in Art Houz, Nungambakkam.