Weekly planner: 4 events you must check out

The beauty of the wild

Travancore Palace will host a new exhibition, titled Eyes of the Untamed—The Continuum, by Monish Bali. Presented by The Viceroy Estate, the show features hyper-realistic charcoal works, which the artist specialises in. This series showcases the wild’s raw beauty, with Bali using colour sparingly, only in the animals’ eyes, to forge an emotional connection. “By focusing on the eyes, I aim to create a bond between the observer and the observed, to remind us of our shared existence on this planet,” states Bali in his artist note. Curated by designer Ashish Soni, set to evocative music composed by Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash. At Travancore Palace, Delhi, 20-21 November, 5pm-10pm. 

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Time to get into extra-character mode 

It’s that time of the year when you can dress up as your favourite comic book character or a film superhero. Comic Con India 2024 kicks off with the Hyderabad edition. The three-day event will include panels with the likes of Amar Chitra Katha and Raj Comics, and stand-up performances by comedians Harsh Gujral, Azeem Banatwalla, Ravi Gupta and Syed Bashaar. At Hitex Exhibition Centre, Izzathnagar, 15-17 November, 10am-8pm. For details, visit www.comicconindia.com. 

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An adventure in movement

Mourad Merzouki, France-based Compagnie Käfig’s artistic director and leading figure on the hip-hop scene, is set to present his celebrated contemporary work, Cartes Blanches, in Mumbai next week. This iteration of the production features six Indian dancers, who were selected after rigorous auditions in 2023 and have been rehearsing under the expert guidance of Merzouki and his team. The show, according to concept note, “is set in a cosy living room with period furniture and the artistes join one another onstage to relate an extraordinary adventure through the memory of bodies and in total simplicity.” At Experimental Theatre, NCPA Mumbai, 20 November, 6.30pm. For details, visit www.ncpamumbai.com. 

Gender on a spectrum

Gender Bender, a-first-of-its-kind arts centric festival in South Asia that celebrates fresh perspectives on gender, turns 10. Starting next week, the festival that was conceived by Sandbox Collective, is set to showcase a slew of performances across multiple venues in Bengaluru. This includes a performance and workshop by Lapdiang Syiem, a poetry installation by Shripad Sinnakaar, a queer sensorium by Mycodyke, a film screening by Ektara Collective, a talk by Berlin-based feminist performance collective She She Pop, and more. The festival will also host children’s workshops that explore ideas of the body through theatre and literature, a Feminist Library, and the Trans Kitchen, a kitchen run by a group of transgender individuals that invites festival goers to cook with them. YSK Prerana is the festival director this year. At Beru, Indiranagar and 1,Shanthi Road, Shanthinagar, Bengaluru, 22-24 November, 11am onwards; Bangalore International Centre, 27-30 November, 11am onwards. Entry is free. For details, visit www.sandboxcollective.org.

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