NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART AND THE INDIA-BHUTAN FOUNDATION PRESENTS ‘BHUTAN: AN EYE TO HISTORY’

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} New Delhi: National Gallery of Modern Art and the India-Bhutan Foundationpresents ‘Bhutan: An Eye to History’ ;an exhibition of more than 80 photographs in colour and black and white from December 23, 2009 to January 31, 2010 at National Gallery of Modern Art, JaipurHouse, India Gate, New Delhi.   SaysProf Rajeev Lochan, Director, NGMA : “The photography exhibition,divided into three parts includes the early photographic records of theHimalayan kingdom of Bhutan, close ties of friendship and co-operation betweenIndia and Bhutan since the historic treaty of 1949 and a remarkable debut photographicwork of His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan.”     SECTION 1:HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN BHUTAN   A distinct section deals with the history of photography in Bhutan ,showcasing rare pictures from the 19 th and 20 th century.These images, recording the British Mission headed by the Hon. Ashley Eden to Bhutan in 1864have never been displayed before. Photographs of His Majesty Ugyen Wangchuck,the first King of Bhutan’s visit to Calcutta in 1905 and to attend the Delhi Durbar of 1911 are amongst important archivalphotographs being exhibited for the first time.     SECTION 2:INDO-BHUTANESE TIES SINCE 1949   The use of the photographic image to create a national narrativehas several parallels across the world, but to include friends of the nation inthis narrative seems to have been enthusiastically imbibed by successivegenerations of photographers, both in India and Bhutan .This collection focuses closely upon the visits of political leaders from India to Bhutan and the reciprocal journeys made by Bhutanese leaders to India . Theselection of images looks at the genre of documentary and press photographs andthe slot created by them in the official narrative of nations. Thedemocratizing lens of the camera goes on to capture Bhutan as it steps into the newcentury and is increasingly visible as the newest entrant to the world’sdemocracies.     SECTION 3: WORKS BY KING OF BHUTAN   The final section displays the debut photographic oeuvre of HisMajesty the King of Bhutan. Popularly known as the People’s King, His MajestyJigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has traversed the length and breadth of hiscountry, often by foot.   His photographsare both an objective record and personal testimony of his empathy andengagement with his nation. Bhutan remains an idyll, and these transparent pictures are not airbrushed withsentimentality or morphed to disguise lurking shadows.   The exhibition has been curated by Pramod Kumar KG, with supportfrom Lily Wangchhuk and Namita Gokhale. The India Bhutan Foundation, co-chairedby Pavan K. Varma, Indian Ambassador to Bhutan ,and General V. Namgyal, Bhutanese Ambassador to India , has extended invaluablesupport as has the Public Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs,Government of India.   Thecharm of the exhibition, thus, lies not just in being able to travel back to aperiod in history that will never come back, but also get an invaluablesociological document from decades ago.

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