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The IIC festival will host a series of live performances, films and exhibitions
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The 10th edition of The IIC Experience: A Festival of the Arts stays loyal to its trademark programme of music, paintings, drama and food. The only change is, the festival at India International Centre (IIC), Delhi, which started on Thursday, is planned for eight days instead of the usual seven. The highlight this year is the participation of countries like Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea and Brazil, most of which go unnoticed in the Capital’s festival circuit.
The festival will screen more than 20 movies, all by women directors. There will be four exhibitions, including contemporary art from South Korea. The live performances consist of an eclectic mix of jazz concert, Kuchipudi, samba, folk dances and classical music recitals. Each day ends with a food festival focused on a region-specific cuisine.
Start in the Main Art Gallery at Kamaladevi Complex, with Amma, Umma!, an exhibit built around the idea of mother as interpreted by artists from South Korea and India.
Equally interesting is Scythian Wind, an exhibition of graphics and paintings depicting the nomadic life of central Asia. On view at the Annexe Art Gallery, this body of work has come after an extensive study of the traditional culture of Kazakhstan by Astana-based artist Leyla Mahat. One of her country’s most acclaimed artists, Mahat has previously exhibited in the US, China, Italy and France. This will be her first show in India.
Also make a detour to Ideas in Line, on view in Conference Room I. It displays the preliminary jottings and sketches of artists Ganesh Pyne and Dinkar Kowshik. Although these were only preparatory sketches to the final structure of their paintings, the curators say these exhibits have their own place and existence in the expression of these two painters.
The Arts of Indonesia, an exhibition of gamelan, tenun ikat (woven cloth) textiles and wayang puppets. A gamelan is a collection of musical instruments from the islands of Java and Bali, principally featuring drums, gongs and bamboo flutes. The wayang puppets, made in leather and wood, are inspired from the stories of Ramayan and Mahabharat. The exhibition is on view at the Lecture Room II, Annexe.
The live performances will happen daily at 6.30pm. A concert of Western classical and Korean traditional music (19 October), presented by artistes of the US-based Union City Philharmonic Orchestra, fascinates in its choice of instruments. The musicians will play oboe and piano with the traditional ahjang and daegeum.
Try not to skip Pedro Miranda’s samba music performance (23 October). A popular Brazilian singer and percussionist, he represents a new generation of musicians from the bohemian Lapa district of Rio de Janeiro. Known for his wit and electric energy, Miranda will present songs from his yet-to-be-released album, Samba Original.
A Gala Night from the Philippines (24 October) will begin with the Rondalla Ensemble, a concert in which musicians play a set of stringed instruments to the folksy traditions of Filipino music. The performers, the Manila-based band Celso Espejo Rondalla, claim to have three generations of Rondalla players. The night will end with a performance by the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, a folk dance group that has “documented and performed the dances, music and rituals of more than 50 ethno-linguistic groups in the country".
The movie festival, Framed by Women, features some not-so-new films such as Nandita Das’ Firaaq and Deepa Mehta’s Earth. A must-watch is Samira Makhmalbaf’s 1998 Iranian film, The Apple, about two daughters locked up by their parents for 12 years.
The food events take place daily at 8pm. Sample Korean food on 19 October. The menu includes seafood green onion pancake, braised pan-fried tofu and Korean barbeque. The Brazilian cuisine will be served on 23 October. The offerings include stuffed brinjals and a variety of salads. The IIC Experience ends on 24 October with Filipino cuisine—try the classic dish of glass noodles with vegetables and chicken adobo.
The festival is on till 24 October. For films, entry passes will be issued 30 minutes prior to the screening. Meal prices start at ₹ 500 per person. Live performances will take place in Fountain Lawn; film screenings in the auditorium; and dinner will be served in Rose Garden. Click here for details.
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