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“Although the city’s official name changed to Chennai in 1996, the legacy of Madras continues to shape its identity.
This is what I tried to capture in my series of paintings,” says Sathya N Prabhu, an artist. The checks in the background serve as a reminder of how Madras has always been welcoming of new people,” said Karthikeyan Pitchaimallian, sculptor and painter. In that moment, we’re all one and together, and I’ve tried to capture that feeling in one of my pieces,” she said. The exhibition aims to foreground this legacy through the perspective of artists reflecting the urban environment, textile traditions, artistic pedagogy, architectural styles, and performing arts,” said Ashrafi Bhagat, curator.
Several decades later, their way of life has become aesthetics. “We see Madras checks as part of interiors, and davaras being used for ‘vintage’ feels in cafes. This modernisation is how Madras became Chennai. Another attempt to reimagine Madras as Chennai is an art installation by Karthikeyan Pitchaimallian, featuring colourful Madras checks in the background, with structures resembling two skylines and a mirror in between. “When a person stands in front of this installation, they become a part of the piece; similar to how Chennai is accepting of new people and makes them part of the city. For painter Preethi Umapathy, the city’s movements have inspired her pieces. “Whenever I see the way people walk and move in T Nagar’s shopping streets, in crowds, I’m reminded of murmuration, a natural phenomenon where birds fly together in a synchronised manner. And it almost feels like a dance.