Compiled by Aradhna Wal & Naina Manjrekar
Korou Khundrakpam On Art
Seoul-based collective Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries is one of the most intriguing figures in web art. It is made up of Marc Vogefrom the US and Young-hae Chang from South Korea. They work with animated text synchronised to a jazz background score, which is mostly their own composition. Nonchalant and yet provocative, their work is full of humour integral and peculiar to the form. One of my favourites is The Art of Sleep, a work commissioned by the Tate Online, in which they ponder upon the futility of art and everything at large. It is narrated as an insomniac’s midnight revelation of the ultimacy of futility.
Khundrakpam Is A Delhi-Based Artist
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Rani Dharker On Books
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is a strange, haunting narrative by a 14-year-old girl who was raped and murdered by a psychopath. From heaven, Susie sees her family come apart because of the tragedy, how the murderer behaves, and her own ties to her people. That first scene of the true horror of rape and murder jolts the reader into realising what the victim really goes through.
Dharker Is The Author Of The Virgin Syndrome
‘The book shows the horror of rape and murder and what the victim really goes through’
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Stefan Kaye On Music
Cardiacs were UK’s most daring and original act throughout the 1980s and ’90s. They were without precedent, yet deployed ridiculously catchy hooks and beautifully majestic phrases, which won them a legion of fans. With mad energy, a stage show incorporating elements of absurdist theatre and the most unhinged sounds, they opened my eyes to what’s possible, live.
Kaye Is A Delhi-Based Musician With Emperor Minge And The Ska Vengers
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Amit Kumar On Film
Mauvais Sang (Bad Blood) is a stylised near-futuristic heist film set in Paris. An American woman blackmails two over-the-hill gangsters to steal the antidote to a new disease that kills youngsters who have sex without love. They hire Alex (Denis Lavant) to do the job. Though he has a lover (Julie Delpy), he falls in love with Anna (Juliette Binoche), one of the gangsters’ lover. The graphic visual style makes this movie worth the watch. It may not be Leos Carax’s best film, but you can’t miss the touches of genius in it.
Kumar Is The Director Of Monsoon Shootout
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Manoj Bhatia On Food
Royal China in Nehru Place, Delhi, is a fine-dining place that I frequent. Though expensive, it is worth it. They come close to authentic Cantonese cuisine, instead of the heavily Indianised versions you get in most places. Their speciality is the delicious dim sum. I recommend the Siu Mai. The Peking Duck is also excellent. The restaurant is done-up in black and gold with Chinese lanterns, in keeping with the theme. The best part is its location. It is on the 16th floor of Eros Towers. You get a beautiful view of the Delhi skyline while you eat. It adds tremendously to the whole experience.
Bhatia Is The Manager And CEO Of Uber Lounge, New Delhi