CHENNAI: The Carnival of Venice, the festival of masks and colourful pageantry held annually in the quaint Italian city, is a photographer’s delight according to Melanie Chagneau. “Cobblestone alleys, cozy cafes, and gondolas — it’s got everything and of course, the city itself comes alive during the carnival!” she beams.
It was into this whirlwind of pomp and pageantry that the French photographer immersed herself when she visited Venice four years ago, photos from which are being showcased this month as ‘Hidden Faces of Venice’ at DakshinaChitra.
City Express caught up with the shutterbug to unravel a few of her creations.
Growing up in Tours, France under the gaze of her father Patrick Chagneau, a contemporary artist, Melanie was influenced by his work and studied art history before working on several museum and conservation projects in France.
“My initial ambition was to be an archaeologist, but I realised after a while that lying down in the dust and brushing away at fossils was not my cup of tea!” she laughs, and admits that photography started off as a hobby — one that she kept exploring along with her studies.
After her graduation, she worked at the Chateau de Villesavin, a Rennaisance-era castle that houses several museums open to the public. “I used to manage almost everything in one particular section — from guiding tours to ticketing and souvenirs,” she recalls. It was around this time that she thought about becoming a professional photographer, but was put off by the heavy competition in France.
“I thought if I’d travel, I’d find more luck — so I decided to backpack around Europe and see what I could find!”
That took her to almost all the littoral countries around France, eventually ending up in Venice, the city known for having canals flowing through it. And as luck would have it, she arrived during the Carnival, which gave her a chance to exercise her skills.
“I was fascinated by all the different masks on display. So I entered the crowd (in costume) and snapped them while the carnival was happening,” she smiles. Melanie herself was in a costume that recalled Shakespeare’s Juliet, with a mask to boot!
Her fascination with museums and architecture has brought her to Chennai, where she has been for the past one year, working on different projects at the Dakshina Chitra Museum. “I’m especially fascinated by temple architecture. It’s amazing that Dakshina Chitra has preserved houses from all parts of India,” she says.
“I am looking forward to document everyday life in Chennai through a series of portrait photographs of common people.”
Hidden Faces of Venice will be showcased at Dakshina Chitra, Muttukadu, till the end of June
For details, visit: www.melaniechagneau.fr