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Of dreams and childhood josh in Vicky Roy's b/w frames at Delhi exhibition Bachpan
Of dreams and childhood josh in Vicky Roy's b/w frames at Delhi exhibition Bachpan

The Hindu

time27-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • The Hindu

Of dreams and childhood josh in Vicky Roy's b/w frames at Delhi exhibition Bachpan

What does it mean to grow up with nothing and still find joy? Vadehra Art Gallery invites viewers to ponder over it through a photo series titled Bachpan (childhood) by Vicky Roy. The photographs, filled with laughter, are a fleeting magic of play of moods and emotions. They display the resilience of childhood shaped not by material comfort, but by imagination, community and survival. Vicky's lens captures children who find delight in the simplest things, even as they live in the shadow of poverty and displacement. His work is inspired by his own humble beginnings. Originally from Purulia, West Bengal, he left home at the age of 11 and began working as a rag picker at the New Delhi Railway Station. His life took a pivotal turn when he was taken in by the Salaam Baalak Trust, a Delhi-based NGO supporting street children. Reflecting on the time he spent playing with his friends in his village, the photographer says, 'We didn't need electronic gadgets. A ball made out of plastic was enough for us to play and have fun.' It is a sentiment that runs through much of his work: the idea that joy does not have to be bought but can be built from what is available. Bachpan, developed over 16 years, documents children in both rural and urban parts of India, including Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra and West Bengal. The photographs show children creating games with discarded materials and forming a strong sense of community and deriving joy from what little they have. Bachpan evokes a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time and an awareness of childhoods that are prematurely cut short. Vicky has also showcased photographs under series Janwaar, which were taken between 2015 and 2018. These shift the focus to a rural community in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh. Designed by his friend, Ulrike Reinhard, the series captures the transformation of a village after the creation of a skatepark, built to uplift children from the Adivasi and Yadav communities. With no formal training, the children taught themselves to skate by falling, getting up, and trying again. 'The motivation behind developing such a park in a rural area was that these children have the resilience to get up after a fall and continue to push their boundaries,' Vicky says. Today, some of the children travel internationally, representing India in skating competitions across Europe and China. Bachpan and Janwaar do not assert themselves loudly. There is no heavy-handed messaging in the 45 black-and-white frames. Vicky's photography resists spectacle. They stay close to the everyday acts of balancing on a skateboard, a pause in the middle of a game, a shared glance between friends. The strength of Bachpan and Janwaar lies in their quiet specificity. By placing the two projects side by side, it becomes evident how environments—rural or urban, improvised or designed—shape the way children move, play and grow. There's no singular narrative of hardship here. Instead, Vicky offers parallel photographs of energy, resourcefulness and change. By the time one exits the gallery, the question is not just about what these children lack, but about what they have made, how they have moved forward, and what new futures are already in motion. Rhea Kapoor and Akhya Shriti At Vadehra Art Gallery, D-53 Defence Colony; Till May 30; 10am to 6pm

The Aziz-Dube saga: A sleight of copyright?
The Aziz-Dube saga: A sleight of copyright?

Hindustan Times

time23-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Hindustan Times

The Aziz-Dube saga: A sleight of copyright?

Artist Anita Dube recently found herself in the middle of a controversy after she used lines from activist and poet Aamir Aziz's poem, Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega, in her art without his permission. The Patna-born poet alleged that the lines were used without his 'knowledge, consent, credit, or compensation' by Dube and exhibited at the Vadehra Art Gallery in Delhi. The poem and the artwork both fall under the purview of copyright law in India, governed by the Copyright Act of 1957. A wide range of creative works are protected under this legislation, which does not extend to ideas, themes, or plots but only to the particular form in which those ideas are expressed. The author is typically the first owner of copyright. Independent contractors may retain ownership unless a contract specifies otherwise. When work is created under a contract of service (employee-employer relationship), the employer is generally the first owner. Copyright arises automatically upon creation of an original work, and registration provides evidentiary support in disputes. The Aziz–Dube matter highlights enduring ethical and legal questions about adapting the works of both living and deceased artists, in terms of consent, attribution, and commercialisation. In India, the general rule for original literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works is that copyright protection endures for the author's lifetime plus 60 years. For other categories of work such as cinematographic films the period of protection is 60 years from the date of first publication. Indian copyright law grants copyright owners the exclusive right to create derivative works, which include adaptations, translations, and other modifications. Adaptation, a subset of derivative works, usually involves changing the format or medium of the essence of the original work is retained, but it is presented differently to reach new audiences or serve new purposes. Derivative works are also protected and copyright in the derivative work vests with the adapter to the extent of the new, original contributions — subject to the subsisting rights in the original work. The right to adapt a work is one of the exclusive rights conferred upon the copyright owner. In the absence of a licence from the from the copyright owner, the adapter may be exposed to legal consequences for copyright infringement. Unauthorised derivative works typically constitute infringement. However, the fair dealing doctrine allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission. There are specific exceptions for purposes such as criticism, review, reporting of current events, and private use including research. Fair dealing seeks to strike a balance between protecting intellectual property and facilitating access to knowledge. While some political expression may intersect with public interest, there are limits to this doctrine. Moral rights protect an author's personal and reputational interests in their work, distinct from their economic rights. These rights survive the assignment of economic rights and are often described as inalienable. A legal claim by an author against unauthorised modifications to their work must succeed in establishing that the treatment of the work has been prejudicial to their reputation. In her public statement, Dube acknowledged an 'ethical lapse' in not seeking Aziz's permission, although she had credited him. She also clarified that the artwork has since been withdrawn from sale. Aziz, for his part, objects to the manner in which his poem was used. Dube also invoked the spirit of the commons and 'copyleft', referencing frameworks the Creative Commons framework, which encourage the free sharing of copyrighted material provided all derivative versions are shared under the same terms. The incident has reignited a discourse on the commercial appropriation of politically resonant and marginalised voices in art. Using the work in a commercial context without consent may be seen as a modification that violates the integrity rights of the author irrespective of any assignment of economic rights. WH Auden, in Law, like Love, likens law to love that 'we seldom keep'— a fitting metaphor for the delicate balance between artistic inspiration and the safeguards that ensure a more equitable field for both emerging and established artists, as well as those who support and facilitate their work. Sana Javed is a lawyer focused on policy and contract advisory. The views expressed are personal

Good Moves
Good Moves

New Indian Express

time16-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • New Indian Express

Good Moves

Childhood without gadgets 'The strong attraction to mobile phones and sophisticated gadgets of today's children raises concerns that they may lose touch with childhood's true essence. The exhibition is aimed at showing that happiness requires no financial resources. The most valuable childhood moments often arise from the simplest of things,' he says. Divided into two parts, 'Bachpan' and 'Janwaar Castle', the exhibition showcases a total of 45 photos on the theme—from children's lives from a remote and marginalised village in Bundelkhand to the metropolis of Mumbai. 'Childhood is the most precious time of someone's life. Children enjoy this phase to their fullest. The quotidian stress and grind that adults go through are still far away. Children find their own way to happiness, even if they lack money. This exhibition is an attempt to reflect that through my lens,' says Roy. Hard at play The black and white photographs show children from various age groups doing flip-flops, chasing a buffalo herd, or poised for skateboarding dare-devilry. 'I donated one of my artworks when the park was being made. So, when the park was built, I was invited to see it once. Since then, I have been a regular here. Every time I come here, I see how happy they are despite not having a lot of options. This skating park has also increased the participation of children in the school, as Janwaar Castle has two strict rules: 'no school, no skating' and 'girls first.' Children love skating so much that they flock to the local school. In addition, it has also encouraged a lot of participation of girls in skating,' adds Roy with a laugh. 'Bachpan' spotlights photos of children across the nation. Roy has travelled throughout India and framed children during their leisure time. From a village school in Utai in Chhattisgarh to the streets of Mumbai, this album covers children from different communities, ethnicities, and linguistic backgrounds. 'Although they are different from each other, their soul is the soul of a child, and that is the theme of this album. You can't differentiate a group of boys/girls in a school in Utai village in Chhattisgarh from a group of kids playing in India's financial hub, Mumbai's Worli. They are happy, what else do they need?' asks Roy. In 'Bachpan' and 'Janwaar Castle', Roy has focussed on children from marginalised and deprived sections of society. When asked about this, he answers, 'It is a common perception that money is needed to celebrate or enjoy childhood. This is a myth. Money is necessary, no denying that. However, a lot of children in India, still live the time of their lives without much resources. They are not limited by this. When they grow up, the grind of life will take over. But their moments of celebration will be captured forever in my lens,' says Roy. 'Bachpan' is on view at Vadehra Art Gallery till May 30 from 10 am to 6 pm

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