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The Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to promote contemporary photography and lens-based art in India. The foundation was founded in 2016 with the mission to create an international platform for photography in Chennai, India.

The foundation has several pillars that include hosting the biennale festival in Chennai, education programs for children, an annual award celebrating photojournalism and a community space and library.

Chennai Photo Biennale past editions

The Chennai Photo Biennale, a biennial international photography festival celebrates the works of emerging and established photographers from around the world. The festival showcases a diverse range of contemporary photographic practices, including fine art, documentary, experimental, and conceptual photography. The Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation (CPBF) has organized three successful editions of the biennale so far. The first edition of the festival occurred in 2016, followed by the second in 2019 and the latest one in 2021.

Edition 1 The first edition, held from February to March 2016, was titled "Surrealistic by Nature" and curated by Yannick Cormier. It featured eight international artists whose works were displayed around the Nageswara Rao Park. The biennale also included a workshop residency project called "Urban Water," which invited 15 emerging photographers from around India to Chennai to work on the subject of water in the aftermath of devastating floods in the city. Additionally, a selection of works from the Delhi Photo Festival 2018 was curated into an exhibition at the Lalit Kala Akademi by Prashant Panjiar and Tanvi Mishra.

Edition 2 The second edition of the CPB, held from February to March 2019, was titled "Fauna of Mirrors" and curated by Pushpamala N. This edition featured 51 artists spread across six venues in Chennai. In addition, several colleges, including NID Ahmedabad, Shrishti Bangalore, NIFT Chennai, and Shasun Jain College Chennai, were assigned an MRTS (suburban rail) station to create installations of students' works. The CPB Student Exhibition about the fishing community was placed at the Egmore Museum.

Edition 3 The third edition of the CPB, held from December 2021 to February 2022, was titled "Maps of Disquiet" and curated by a 4-member curatorial team of Arko Datto, Bhooma Padmanabhan, Boaz Levin, and Kerstin Meincke. This hybrid edition featured a total of 50 artists and projects from 13 countries, with 12 artists presented in physical shows in Chennai at private galleries and libraries. The biennale also included a custom-built digital exhibition where each artist imagined their projects from the vertical scroll environment. A two-part print publication in tabloid format spanning 160 pages featuring the works of the artists and the various projects of the CPB Foundation was also published. Finally, a large-scale outdoor showcase called "Land of Stories" was organized, featuring pictures by school students from across Tamil Nadu capturing the colors and textures of the state. The edition was impacted by COVID-19, but it still managed to engage 24,000 viewers over 60 days.

In addition to the biennial festival, the foundation also conducts year-round programs and initiatives to promote photography and visual arts in India. These include workshops, masterclasses, artist talks, exhibitions, and public art projects. The foundation also supports emerging photographers through its mentorship and residency programs.

CPB Prism The CPB Prism, the educational arm of the Foundation, focuses primarily on promoting lens-based arts education for children. The goal is to empower students to use the arts as a means of creative expression and documentation while exploring important issues, stimulating critical thought, and driving social change. The programs introduce alternative and creative career paths to students.

CPB Photo Awards

The CPB Photo Awards is a photography competition organized by the Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation. The competition aims to provide a platform for photographers from around India to showcase their work and gain recognition for their talent.