Touching Light – A Prelude to the Bicentennial of photography, (1827–2027), an exhibition curated by Aditya Arya, the founder of Museo Camera in collaboration with the Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC), brought to life the profound vocabulary of analogue practices across two centuries. The event was far more than a static display of phenomenal works of veteran photographers; it was an invitation to relive history through the very soul of the medium – the negatives.
While the physical films appeared in monochrome, their true palette emerged as a vibrant amalgamation of the care, dedication, and the clinical delicacy with which these artefacts have been handled across generations. Dr. Tirna Chatterjee, the moderator of the day, introduced Mr. Aditya Arya, sparking a discourse for seamlessly bridging the past with the contemporary world.
WALK THROUGH The physical journey through the gallery floor effectively commenced with Mr. Arya addressing the profound philosophy behind the exhibition’s title, Touching Light. He explained that the genesis of a photograph resides fundamentally within the human mind, where the creative process of conceiving an image happens instantaneously, moving as fast as the speed of light.
Therefore, the act of ‘touching’ that light becomes a vital necessity, a deliberate bridge required to capture that lightning-fast blueprint of thought and bring it to life through the slow, physical evolution of the darkroom negative. Mr. Arya then guided the audience through a curated portrayal of masterworks; beginning with Rohit Chawla’s striking frames, followed by Pradeep Chandra’s section, which was rich with intimate portraits of icons like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Dilip Kumar, and Sanjay Dutt. Nearby, eminent photojournalist Bandeep Singh laid out compelling frames of Naseeruddin Shah, alongside Mr. Arya’s own archival contributions. Amid the crowd stood Mala Mukherjee, whose celebrated portraits, including a captivating study of actress Nandita Das drew significant admiration.
Adding light-hearted warmth to the stroll, Mr. Arya revealed an enchanting anecdote about another prominent figure, Akash Das: the very model featured in his display later went on to become his wife, after which his photographic journey pivoted deeply toward the wilderness and wildlife. Beyond these contemporary triumphs, the gallery floor shifted deeper into history, drawing the crowd toward a rare collection of original 1850s egg albumen prints from The People of India. Commissioned under the patronage of Governor-General Lord Canning and his wife, the project ironically began because they simply wanted a personal photo album to take back to England.
This documentation of early analogue practice extended into the 1870s with the seminal Beauties of Lucknow series, pioneered by Darogah Abbas Ali in 1874. The historic footprints of the legendary Bourne & Shepherd studio were also on display, enriching the audience’s comprehension of 19th-century methods. To safeguard these irreplaceable treasures from Kolkata’s humid climate, KCC utilized specialized glass showcases equipped with light sensors, ensuring the volatile negatives remained unexposed to damaging light levels Among the distinguished visitors was the renowned Odissi dancer, Sanchita Bhattacharya, who found herself deeply alluded to the transcendent beauty of the curation, particularly Avinash Pasricha’s evocative portrayal of classical mudras.
For Bhattacharya, the exhibition stood as a magnificent celebration of motion preserved in time PANEL DISCUSSION The intellectual core of the evening culminated in a panel discussion featuring the exhibition’s stalwarts: Aditya Arya, Mala Mukherjee, Saibal Das, and Jayanta Shaw. Together, their collective insights instantly captured the audience’s gaze and intent. As the discourse on traditional practices progressed, photojournalist Saibal Das offered a grounded perspective, noting that while analogue processes differ fundamentally from modern electronic imaging, the old days have given way to a new generation.
The energy in the hall became distinctly electric during the Q&A session, when one of the questions from the floor challenged the panel to look at the contemporary landscape: given how seamlessly Instax cameras and Polaroids allow the younger generation to capture instant images, what is it that would ever bring them back to the tedious, highly careful curation of traditional analogue processes? Mr. Aditya Arya answered the prompt with profound intelligence. He opined that if one merely seeks momentary happiness, instant digital or commercial prints are perfectly feasible.
However, it is the heavy physicality and unmatched longevity of true archival art that holds an enduring attraction, a material soul that explains why century-old pictures remain pristine and available to us today. While a few voices in the audience quietly differed regarding the chemical longevity of commercial Polaroids specifically, the undeniable historical weight and artistic allure of the classic monochrome could not be ignored.
BOX CAMERA As the panel concluded, the room transformed into a lively interactive space as visitors gathered around the primitive, elegant mechanics of the Box camera. Proudly helmed by Jayanta Shaw, live arrangements were made on the gallery floor to give the audience a firsthand demonstration of pure photographic alchemy, bringing the two-century-old chronicle to a triumphant, tactile close. Excitement rippled through the room as viewers witnessed the meticulous methodology of a medium that required the subject to sit frozen for several seconds, after which the plate, drenched in chemical water, slowly conjured a full image across a few meditative minutes.
Reflecting on the depictions of artistry, Mr. Aroop Datta offered a profound philosophical insight to close the evening. He noted that these archival works are characterized entirely by a qualitative essence rather than a quantitative measure. In art, Datta remarked, one cannot compare masterpieces like items on a grocery shelf; instead, it demands a qualitative understanding, given that each frame belongs to a distinct historical timeline and a diverse host of individual lenses.