French artist Giai-Miniet loves creating a constant play of light and shadow in his paintings, with black and brown dominating the colour palette. Photographer Olivier Culmann (also from France), on the other hand, has created an entire exhibition—Photo Viewers—based on his study of people watching television, capturing them in Morocco, India, USA, Mexico, Nigeria, UK, China and France. Both the artists are now in Chandigarh— Miniet at the invitation of the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi, exhibiting his works at the Museum of Fine Arts, Panjab University, while Culmann’s traveling show is at the Alliance Francaise.

Curious about myths and symbols, Miniet’s ‘character’, the subject, lies in between a beast and human, characterized by a big nose, sometimes wearing a gas mask. “The black in my work is the deep, blackness of the unknown, from where human beings need to go out and find light,” he says. While the barriers that we raise show a lack of love, knowledge, open-mindedness, compassion and responsibility, it is culture, art and education, believes the painter, that can take out the monstrosity existing within us. The paintings are done in acrylic and mixed media, on paper or envelopes and a thick red line at the bottom of his paintings includes the Hindi transcriptions of sun, moon, light and god, which Miniet finds beautiful.

Culmann’s photographs capture that moment when both attention and consciousness slumbers, bodies reach a comfort zone, curling up and ‘collapsing’ on the couch, sofa, bed or floor. “Culmann clicks similar emotions across countries. Sometimes, you wonder if the viewer is watching TV or vice-versa,” says Daniel Rignault, director, Alliance Francaise.

All activity comes to a standstill as soon as the TV set is switched on, says Diwan Manna, chairperson, Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi. “TV becomes the main influence on people’s perception of the entire world, which is far from reality and I captured this unsettling aspect,’’ says Culmann. What troubles Culmann is that a ghostly version of reality begins to dominate and threatens the normal working of the human mind.