CHENNAI IN FOCUS

The fourth edition of the Chennai Photo Biennale questions photography’s purpose in an age of hyperdocumentation

- —Arshia

Why photograph?” is the question the Chennai Photo Biennale asks, as it returns with its fourth edition after a three-year physical hiatus since 2021, expanding its presence across more prominent venues in the city by occupying galleries and public spaces in Chennai.

The question takes inspiration from photographer Dayanita Singh’s body of work, which inquires into the very act of photographing in an age of hyperdocumentation, as lines between fact and fiction blur more than ever. “Photography has become a spontaneous act and a universal language now. In this age of excess image production, the question that begs to be asked and answered not just by photographers and artists, but by anyone, is—why do we photograph?” says Shuchi Kapoor, cofounder and director, CPB Foundation, the charitable trust behind the biennale.