HYDERABAD: There are several aspects of city life that get overlooked when we traverse our own paths, most importantly the blatant contradictions that lie bare in front of us. It is ironic that something that lies in plain sight gets overlooked – it hints at our own numbness and apathy.
Kishor Krishnamoorthi’s photo series sheds light on precisely these issues. To be displayed in four mini-series, a total of 57 images will showcase the streets of Hyderabad with their various idiosyncrasies.
“From No Parking signs to the garlands of cables that exist at every street corner, the photographs direct at a hurried and unplanned response to the increasing urban population. In a well-planned society, there would be no need for ‘No Parking’ signs because sufficient parking spaces would exist. With countless cars being sold every day and inadequate provisions for parking, building owners are forced to put up makeshift ‘No Parking’ signs. The question then remains - are these enforceable? If so, by who?” asks the photographer.
On being asked whether a photographer halting at a place to cover something like ‘No Parking’ signs or ‘garland of cables’ makes an impact
on citizens, Krishnamoorthi said, “I am not sure how much impact it makes but having said that, when I stopped to shoot the ‘No Parking’ signs, some people did come up to me to ask why I was shooting them and it sparked a conversation pertaining to the relevance of these signs. I guess, if you shoot the right things and touch the right people, it might lead to some good questions and spark debate about these issues.”
Further, exemplifying the issue of mindless development, the photographs bring forth the need to build an infrastructure that takes care of the long-term needs of the rising city population and not just something “which is often done keeping in mind the immediate need of the hour, and not giving adequate thought to the long-term consequences at the ground level,” said Krishnamoorthi.
As the cities in India grow unabashedly, the need to rethink urban planning ideas has surfaced among academics. However, artists taking note of it and incorporating it in their work have the possibility of creating a larger impact.
“The impact that I hope to see my work bringing is first on citizens and then also on the way government makes its urban policies. The idea is to communicate that this is how development is happening in the city. The citizens should ask for better planning from the government and the latter should provide sustainable development to the citizens,” the photographer concludes.