A global photography open call reimagines everyday spaces in Chennai

Walk past OSR Park in MRC Nagar, and one is transported on an unexpected journey — one that moves from the mangroves of the Sundarbans to the peat-rich bogs of Ireland, from the industrial scars of the Western Balkans to distant, shifting terrains across continents. Part of the second edition of the International Photography Open Call showcase, organised by the Chennai Photo Biennale, this open-air exhibition unfolds not just here but across VR Mall, and Avtar Foundation for the Arts, MRC Nagar bringing together a global visual conversation. 

Selected from 9,400 submissions across 37 countries, the 100 photographs on display traverse intimate and political terrains. In MRC Nagar, photographer Swastik Pal captures life in the Sundarbans, where severe climate change has brought humans and wildlife into closer contact. Shane Hynan’s Beneath Beofhod reflects on Ireland’s boglands as sites of memory and restoration, while Mateo Trevisan’s More than the Sun examines the impact of coal-driven industrialisation in the Western Balkans. 

Sugandha Garg’s series Littleness
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Sugandha Garg’s series Littleness, consisting of pinhole photographs, invites viewers to reflect on notions of space, freedom, and invisible boundaries that shape modern life. “I love the idea that you can be walking down a street, glance to your right and suddenly encounter a work someone has spent a decade creating… there’s something deeply democratic about that moment of chance, where art quietly enters everyday life, opening up the world in the most unexpected ways,” says Sugandha. 

The artworks are selected by a panel of photographers, visual artistes, and filmmakers like Ashfika Rahman, Avani Rai, Kaamna Patel, Bharat Sikka, whose expertise brought a non-linear approach to the exhibition. “One of the criticisms we faced at the Biennale was, ‘How do I participate — where do I show my work?’ The open call was our answer: a space where anyone could submit, without the pressure of a theme. We wanted to let the artistes share what they truly want to say,” says Varun Gupta, founding director, Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation. 

Photographs displayed at VR Chennai.
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In VR Mall, the single-image showcases are presented both physically and digitally, taking viewers through the streets and bazaars of India, into homes, on beaches, and across diverse landscapes. “I’ve been doing shows in public spaces like train stations, beaches, and parks, because the more they encounter contemporary art in everyday spaces, the more it opens them up to something new. The idea is that you encounter something in the park, and follow that interest to a gallery, and maybe even another show,” says Varun. 

 Jannan Kazmi’s series Her Hands are Filled with Stars
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At Avtar Foundation for the Arts, the photo series showcase offers a more intimate exploration, where visitors can engage with multiple artworks by the same artistes, thoughtfully brought together to tell a cohesive story. From Kashmir, Jannan Kazmi’s series Her Hands are Filled with Stars, created in Makardah, West Bengal, imagines a world where women can freely occupy public spaces at night. Here, women are seen outdoors after dark — walking, gathering, and simply existing under the open sky. “I have grown up in Kashmir, in not a very conservative but definitely a very protective family. The idea really began when I started stepping out at night. I noticed that there were hardly enough women in the streets…and what it would feel like to we feel safe enough to be out. It became about imagining how we might reclaim these spaces, in the end, it turned into an act of rebellion — beginning with simply doing the things that men do, but growing into something much larger,” says Jannan. The photographs showcased are part of the international photography programme at Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, hosted by Bangladesh at Anandi Foundation, Makardah. 

“One of the best things about open call is that lens-based art — photography, or any form of art isn’t limited to those represented by galleries or what we call ‘high art’. These are people who’ve simply made submissions; they might be amateurs in one sense, and professionals in another. So really, it’s about coming in, experiencing it, and recognising that art can be made by anyone, and enjoyed by everyone,” says Jaiveer Johal, arts patron and founder, Avtar Foundation for the Arts.

Ardha (Half) by Anouchka Renaud-Eck
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Photo series, Ardha (Half) by Anouchka Renaud-Eck explores love, separation, and the search for partnership within contemporary Indian society. “This body of work began when I moved in with a close friend’s family after a breakup. My friend was going through something similar — heartbroken because his parents did not approve of his relationship due to communal differences. We found ourselves constantly reflecting on love, loss, and the tension between what society and family expect from us and what we want for ourselves,” says Anouchka.

Among the other photographs is a series by Stephanie Lee from Singapore, titled Your Favourite Disappointment, that shows how an illness reshapes a strained relationship between a father and daughter. Then there are British Traditions by Leah Gordon from UK, a black and white series showing dancers in costume, figures disguised as animals, and processions that echo the centuries-old beliefs of the country. 

Through the photographs, the second edition becomes a space where climate anxieties, cultural memory, intimacy, and resistance intersect, dissolving the boundaries between art and audience.

The second edition of the International Photography Open Call showcase is on till April 5, at VR Mall, Avtar Foundation for the Arts, and OSR Park.

Published – March 25, 2026 03:51 pm IST