City Under Construction

Like a storm that can’t be tamed, Gurgaon is pushing its boundaries, sweeping across lands, leaving high-rises and malls in its wake. In this massive concrete jungle, punctuated by tin-roofed huts and shanties, four photographers document a story in the making. The exhibition, “Aravallis — From Hills to Apartments” at Alliance Francaise de Gurgaon, portrays the Millennium City from the perspective and camera-vantage point of Vinit Gupta, Vicky Roy, Marianne Van Loo and
Cara Louwman.

“We went out once a week and dedicated the whole day to shooting. It took us about a year to complete this project,” says Louwman, for whom photography was a hobby until she met Van Loo, a town planner and photographer. They co-authored Lines of Gurgaon, images from which are displayed at the exhibition. “We began capturing construction sites and people until somebody told us that temples are very important, so we included those in our images too,” she says.

Their works share a central theme — lines — initially inspired by electric cables. But as their body of work grew, other lines branched out and they created series of images titled life lines, sky lines, construction lines and billboards representing future lines. Through keen eyes and clever angles, the photographers, from The Netherlands, successfully communicate the contrast between urban and rural, rich and poor Gurgaon.

Meanwhile, Delhi-based photographer Gupta shows the rapid consumerism in Gurgaon that has created a booming ‘recreation industry’. His images have people striking a pose at clubs and cafes. The frames are casual, engaging and also astounding as the aesthetics and the entire economic story unfold.

The exhibition is on till April 5, from 10am to 6pm at Alliance Francaise de Gurgaon, S-24/8, DLF Phase 3

(The reporter is a student of EXIMS)