Art for a cause: how this photography exhibition is raising funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India

In the first part of our photo essay on the Jaga Chitra photography exhibition, we showcase the power of art in rallying awareness for a medical cause and raising funds.

PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 200 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.

A community initiative spearheaded by photography experts Anand Sharan and Shankar Subramaniam, the Jaga Chitra exhibition in Bengaluru this weekend is raising funds for those suffering from multiple sclerosis. The exhibition at Rangoli Metro Art Centre features over 100 prints by 60 photographers, curated from 400 submitted entries.

“The online medium is great for showing photographs to a broad audience, but a physical exhibition draws the viewers into the experience and the motives of the artists,” said Shankar, in a chat with YourStory.

The activity is part of a broader community movement with 1,400 members called Thank God It’s Saturday (TGIS), featuring the works of those who have taken workshops conducted by Anand and Shankar. The prints are priced from Rs 3,500 to Rs 12,000, and span wildlife, scenic locales, culture, nature, and people. This is the sixth exhibition of the group, which has also released a photography book called ‘The Spirit of India: A Pictorial Journey from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.’

Shankar is a management consultant who has pursued his passion in photography as well, and conducts photo tours for enthusiasts to regions like Northeast India and Rajasthan. Photographers come from across India and overseas, to understand the finer aspects of immersive photography beyond run of the mill “parachute photography.”

Photography is a great platform for creativity. “You literally get a different perspective of things when you change your lens,” explains Shankar. Photography is a great excuse, he jokes, for travelling, meeting other people, understanding other cultures, and appreciating nature.

Art and photography can also be used by communities to rally around a cause and do good for society, Shankar sums up (see Part II of this photo essay here). By the end of the four-day exhibition, his team is hoping to raise at least Rs 7 lakhs for those suffering from multiple sclerosis; they raised 6.2 lakhs last year for the MSSI Bangalore Chapter.

Now what have you done today to pursue your passion and hobby, and also contribute to a cause for those less fortunate than you are?

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