Madras to Chennai: Unveiling the city's evolution through photographs, installations

CHENNAI: Every year, DakshinaChitra Museum announces its 11-month internship programme in museum and arts management. Interns will engage in hands-on learning experiences, curated workshops, and meaningful projects to hone their skills and broaden their understanding of heritage preservation and promotion.

Seven interns from the 2023-2024 programme are presenting an exhibition, titled Madras to Chennai: Appo Ippo, at the Varija Gallery till May 27. The DAK-Chola Interns’ exhibition highlights the city’s beauty, bringing together the many shades of Madras and Chennai in the same space.

Sarasi Ganguly, one of the interns, shares with DT Next that the exhibition has provided individuals from various parts of the country with insights into the heritage and culture of the city. “This year, our theme was ‘Madras to Chennai.’ We narrated the story of Madras transforming into Chennai and explored different aspects of the city that have contributed to its present-day culture. Our exhibition covers a wide range of topics including the people, music, food, language, automobile, and textile industries of the city. Through photographs, installations, and our creative ideas, we have showcased how the city’s history and its diverse heritage have seamlessly merged into the culture we know today,” explains Ganguly.

During the 11-month internship supported by Cholamandalam Finance, interns underwent training in different museum departments. At the end of the programme, they collaborated to put up this exhibition.

“We aimed to illustrate how the history of Madras Presidency gradually became a part of Chennai city. Each of us has conducted individual and team research. What’s most fascinating about Chennai is its diversity. People from all over the country come here to settle, some for work, which mirrors the trend during the presidency era as well. Madras was seen as a place of opportunity, offering better education and more. This mindset persists today as well. While speaking to shopkeepers whose businesses span three generations, they all express a sense of belonging to the city with the same ideals. Madras has carried its legacy through generations – this is evident in the books we’ve read and the photos we’ve come across during our research. By studying the history of the place and interacting with locals, we have significantly shaped our understanding of the city,” she adds.