Travelling cinema is a thing of the past. But thanks to French artist Le Gentil Garçon (meaning The Nice Guy), cinema is about to go on wheels again in a novel way — on the back of an auto rickshaw. When the box on the back of the vehicle opens, a screen will pop out along with a sound system, video projector and seats.
“This is like going back to the earlier days of cinema when they used to be exhibited on the streets. The idea is to take the movies to remote areas and introduce people there to the culture and diversity,” says the artist, who doesn’t wish to reveal his name or face and preferring an element of mystery. He goes by his artistic name, which relates to the first art he created — a mask.
The Rick-Show project is a joint initiative of Alliance Française de Trivandrum, the organiser, and the College of Architecture Trivandrum (CAT), which designed the box. Their project will bring cinema and independent films to people through the ubiquitous auto rickshaw.
Under the guidance of the artist, a team of professors and students at CAT designed and made the box. Everything required to show a movie is fitted in the box that can be fixed onto the autorickshaw and then carried to places. An autorickshaw will be rented for the movie screening, the artist says. He plans to hold three shows in the capital and Kochi, and then one in Pune. “Since the screening will be on an auto-rickshaw, the show has been named Rick-Show,” the artist says. According to him, art is all about perpetual research. “Cinema has a strong artistic dimension and it is important to me. Movies depict culture. And with this project, I can show the different cultures to the public. The mobile cinema can reach anywhere and be screened anywhere,” says the artist.
According to him, the idea of a travelling cinema is suitable to the pandemic time as well, as they are being exhibited out in the open, and not in enclosed spaces.
The project began two years ago when the artist was in the city. The idea is to showcase contemporary art films to communities that have little access to artworks in India. “I created a small model during my visit. The pandemic delayed the project,” he says. He has picked an array of movies, art documentaries and animation films for the project, including some of his work. The first show was held in CAT on Wednesday.
Five programmes from the art film collection of the Fonds Régional d’Art Contemporain Occitanie Montpellier (France) and Fonds Municipal d’Art Contemporain de Geneve (Switzerland) will be in the offering. The screening includes films by independent artists like Miranda Pennell (UK), Ben Russell (USA), Ingrid Wildi Merino (Chili), Georges Schwizgebel (Suisse), Le Gentil Garçon (France) and so on. Rick-Show is part of the fourth edition of Bonjour India 2022 Festival. Consul general of France in Pondicherry and Chennai Lise Talbot Barré;Alliance Francaise de Trivandrum director Eva Martin; artist Le Gentil Garcon and College of Architecture principal Jayakumar inaugurated the event.