The Scent of India

Jakčev dom
opening: tuesday, 23rd of July, @ 19.30

http://www.dussaud-g.fr/
http://www.dolmuzej.com/si/muzej/jakac/

India through the eyes of Georges Dussaud is offered to us as one of his childhood memories. When Georges saw The Jungle Book with his parents, he was fascinated by a young Indian boy named Sabu, who played Mowgli. Sabu was riding an elephant; for a young Frenchman and a future photographer that image was enough to feel connected with profound poetry that unfolded on the big screen. He felt called. This movie represents the core of author's longing for India.
After Portugal, Ireland and Greece, Georges continued his journey to the East as a traveller and a photographer. He and his wife Christine left for India, as many others had done before them. In his camera bag, Georges carried Leica, Pier Paolo Pasolini's journal The Scent of India, Rudyard Kipling's novel Kim, news by Satyajit Ray ... Every traveller who travels this vast land returns either deeply touched or euphoric, or even both. No one remains untouched.
Georges decided for black and white photography in order to better celebrate the shadow and the light of India, to stress the importance of sacred and the presence of ritual in everyday life of the Indian subcontinent. The sacredness and ritual give rhythm to a daily routine seen in bathing of elephants in Kerali, the scent of jasmine in long hair of Kalkuta women, smiles of children of Shantivila, kathakali dancers in Sadanam, umbrellas in monsoon, the exciting city of Varanasi, the shocking severity of Bihar ... These Indian sights create an image passed to us through Dussaud's sensual but humble view.
One life will not suffice to travel India and get to know its people, hidden in a huge crowd of faces, as well as one book alone will never succeed in keeping everything in its transience. However, Georges' exhibition the Scents of India gives us more than one reason to hope.
Marc Parent, Buchet-Chastel editor

about author:
Georges Dussaud was born in 1934 in the town of Brou, near Chartres in France. His early engagements in photography took place in his spare time, having first solo exhibition opened in 1978 in Nantes. Since then Dussaud regularly exhibited in Bretagne, where he lives and works today. In addition to publishing reportages of the named region he also began to travel at that period. In Douro wine-growing region of Portugal he observed harvesting of wine grapes for several years and published a book on this topic in 1993. In 1986 he joined the agency Raphoe, becoming a professional photographer. Within the program entitled Rural Europe Dussaud received an assignment from the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in 1990; emerged series was exhibited at festivals in Arles and Turin and in Mexico. His first trip to India was conducted in 1993. In 2002, on behalf of Photographic archives of the city of Lisbon, Dussaud created a series of fifty photographs about this city. Since 2001 Dussaud is represented by the Paris based gallery Esther Woerdehoff.

Exhibitions/Nominations/Awards (selection):
1988 Photos of Portugal, Museu de Santa Catarine, Brazilija1989 nomination for W. Eugène Smith Award, New York, USA
1993 Landscapes of the North, Museu de Marinha, Lisbona, Portugal
1996 Variations of Uncertain Times, Photos of Ireland, Festival Etonnants Voyageurs, St. Malo, France.
2001 Panoramas, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
2006 Royal College Award for the series Photos of Douro, London, United Kingdom
2007 retrospective Chronicles of Portugal, Centro Portugues de Fotografia, Porto, Portugal

opening times:
23rd of July - 17th of August: tue - sat: 9.00 - 17.00