French artist Marko 93 to ‘Monulight’ Kolkata

Celebrated French graffiti and light painting artist Marko 93 will lead the city’s first ‘Monulighting’ project with the iconic Prinsep Ghat as his canvas, the organisers said on Tuesday.

Monulighting (monumental light painting) refers to light painting projected on monuments or live spaces.

Marko 93 is known for reinventing and popularising the unique painting/drawing style which is essentially a photographic technique, in which exposures are made by moving a hand-held light source while taking a long exposure photograph, either to illuminate a subject or to shine a point of light directly at the camera.

From October 30 to November 2, Marko 93 will delight art lovers in Kolkata with a light painting workshop (at Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute) and live graffiti art and Monulighting project.

"This Indo - French cultural collaborative exercise will be an immersive experience for art practitioners and lovers of Kolkata, enabling deep insights into a significant contemporary art movement," the Alliance Francaise du Bengale said in a statement.

"The iconic Princep Ghat, built in 1843, with the second Hooghly bridge and the river, as its backdrop - a motif of Kolkata's legacy, evolution and spirit, will be the canvas for the Monulighting project.

"The Monulighting project will aim to capture the spirit and confluence and present it in a totally unique language," the statement said.

The resulting video will be exhibited at various international art exhibitions and shows, raising interest and awareness about Kolkata's unique heritage.

The walls of The Saturday Club (which is more than a 100-year-old) will be the backdrop for the graffiti project.

"Young graffiti artists from Kolkata and also artists from economically disadvantaged backgrounds will be part of this collaborative project which will leave behind an indelible memory of our times," the statement said, adding INTACH and The Arshinagar Project are the other collaborators.