CAIRO--AS an Italian man, it was their cultural differences that aroused his curiosity, inspiring him to take his camera and mix with them. He was fascinated by the magic of India in their eyes. Italian diplomat and artist Nicolo Tassoni Estense captured his impressive photographs during his posting at the Italian Embassy in India from 2006-2009. The Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture in Cairo (MACIC) has organised an exhibition of his photographs, entitled ‘India - A Journey Within'. Mohssen Shaalan, head of the Fine Arts Sector in Egypt's Ministry of Culture, and Ambassador of India to Egypt R. Swaminathan inaugurated the exhibition on Tuesday. Estense's photos have captured details in the lives of ordinary men, women and children in rural and urban India. "Estense has shown us that the camera is not just an instrument which mechanically freezes a moment in time for eternity, but it's also a creative medium, which can convey a poetic and aesthetic message, says MACIC Director Suchitra Durai. The subcontinent of India lies in south Asia, between Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the north it is bordered by the world's highest mountain chain, where foothill valleys cover the northernmost of the country's 26 states. Side by side with the country's staggering topographical variations is its cultural diversity, the result of the coexistence of a number of religions as well as local traditions. Thus, the towering temples of south India, easily identifiable by their ornately sculptured surface, are associated with a great many crafts and performing arts of the region. The magic of a silvery dawn when a fisherman examines his catch in the River Narmada in central India; the explosive blue and yellow of a public bus in busy Calcutta; toddlers and young children drinking, eating, lolling and gazing; the serenity of pilgrims at the ancient ghats of the River Ganges; the magnificent grey landscape of Ladakh - all these and more can be seen in the exhibition. "The photos of this exhibition are a small tribute to beloved India. I hope that through them you will share my journey and get a glimpse of the multitude of sensations and feelings I experienced in the three years I spent in this extraordinary country. "From the burning plains of the Thar Desert, to the joy of Varanasi's pilgrims, from the gentle people of Ladakh, to the eternal decadent beauty of Calcutta, there is no corner of India that has not generously revealed to me a secret, or simply an unexpected feeling," says Dr Estense, currently the Economic Counsellor of the Italian Embassy in Cairo. The 44 photographs in the exhibition, whose colour and composition are evocative of paintings, portray everyday life in rural and urban India, reflecting the cultural and geographical diversity of the country. The exhibition at Maulana Azad Centre, 23, Talaat Harb St, downtown, Cairo, runs until July 15. It's open daily from 10am to 6pm, except on Fridays and Saturdays. Everyone is very welcome. For further details, please contact the Centre at: 2393-3396/2396-0071
