TAIN Evenings presents...

TAIN is hosting photographer Michelle Varghese on the 3rd and 4th of December, 2010 in Pune. Michelle is the first photographer to be showcased in TAIN Evenings, presenting a little diversified talent.A graduate in English Literature, Michelle took to the camera fairly recently. Quickly honing her raw talent, she now takes immense pleasure in seeing the world differently than most people would. Teaching her to observe and perceive things that are usually hidden in mediocrity, photography for her is expression – expression of the world as she sees it, the world through her eyes.Michelle’s philosophy stems from the words of famous photographer...

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"The Design of Design" by Christopher Charles Benninger (2009)

We are all gathered here today by a common devotion to something called design. For each of us it may have a different meaning, but for all of us it means a “process through which something is achieved!” We may think of “a design” as an object like the Coca Cola bottle, or the Sony Walkman; or as a beautiful interior space. But the iconic designs which come to our minds are merely the outcomes of a DESIGN PROCESS. We are all involved in this process.All of my friends sitting here are “designers”, be they lighting designers, industrial designers, architects, interior designers or artists! Each, in their own way is a master of their unique design process. Design to me is a METHOD TO ACHIEVE AN END RESULT, whether it is creating the Tata logo, conceiving of a reading lamp, or rolling out a new...

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"Back to Basics" by Christopher Charles Benninger (2008)

It is an honor for me to be allowed to address a committed group of my professional peers. We come here today out of both hope and concern for the future. We live in the new economy based on the “bottom line!” The bottom line means profit! No matter what unique selling point city builders advertise, be it green buildings or high tech environments, the bottom line is harvesting the maximum profit, even at the cost of the public good! Giving lip service to corporate responsibility is part of the new public relations strategy, while the reality is cutting costs and increasing Floor Space Index at the cost of society. This “new economy” has generated a new value system and a “new architecture”!THE TWO PATHS Like all living creatures architects are driven by survival and the urge to dominate. There...

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"Five Lessons Life Has Taught Me" by Christopher Charles Benninger (2005)

In a recent discussion with the Maharashtra Herald’s Sunanda Mehta, Benninger reveals some of the important lessons life has taught him.Lesson One“To gain something beautiful, one may have to give up something beautiful.”One day, sitting in my garden campus in near Pune, surrounded by fifteen acres of fruit trees, flowering plants and lawns, a young architecture student came unannounced to meet me, insisting to have our picture taken together. Like many students who visited my campus at CDSA he was studying my designs and my campus layout! At that moment I was completing the fiftieth policy paper I had written on “development” and it struck me that no student had ever come to have a photo session after reading one of my hefty policy papers!At about the moment we said “cheese” I immediately...

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TAIN Evenings presents...

TAIN is hosting artist Vishwajeet Naik on the 26th and 27th of November, 2010 in Pune. Vishwajeet started his career at the tender age of 10, and his artwork showcases his love for birds and Nature. It is filled with depictions of vibrant colourful images of birds, still-life and flora and fauna complimented with his unusual and creative framework. From landscapes to birds, Vishwajeet captures picturesque sights on his canvas and blends them with textures to bring them to life. Being experimental in his style, Vishwajeet’s explorations on different bases ranging from handmade paper to canvas with an assortment of water colours, oil pastels, crayons...

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"From Neglect to Abuse" by Christopher Charles Benninger, Architect.

Pune MirrorSunday, 7th November 2...

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TAIN Evenings presents...

TAIN is hosting Vishal Phasle on the 19th and 20th of November, 2010 in Pune. He expresses himself through his paintings, which in turn speak to the viewer. Nature, Tradition, Society and Daily Human Life Sciences and Mythological Characters inspire him greatly. Painting is not just a form of expression for him, but also an inward spiritual journey. Currently concentrating on a series of paintings called “NRUTYA-CHANDRIKA”, which represent the Indian Classical (Kathakali, Bharatnatyam, etc.) and folk dance forms, Vishal says “I am just an instrument, the spirit inside gushes out forming the lines, colours and forms on the canvas”Should you wish...

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Music and Lyrics

"A melody is like seeing someone for the first time. The physical attraction. But then, as you get to know the person, that's the lyrics. Their story. Who they are underneath. It's the combination of the two that makes it magical." - Sophie (Drew Barrymore) in 'Music and Lyrics'I recently had a friendly argument with somebody over a much talked about topic – the appreciation of music. We were driving, and all that was playing was instrumental pieces. Now don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate melody. I really do. It takes an immense amount of talent to play like that, and an even more immense talent to convey and portray a particular sentiment purely via music. But it’s not something I can appreciate for very long. After a while, I need lyrics that I can sing along to. Lyrics, which will directly...

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The Comfort of Costumes.

Halloween just passed us by. And along with it came a host of pictures on Facebook, of people dressed up in all sorts of costumes. The variety was unbelievable and there was a host of characters one could see. There were witches and cowboys, there were famous personalities like Amy Winehouse and Slipknot. I wonder what it is about costume parties that really a GETS person. I, for one, really don’t like costume parties. I think it just boils down to the fact that I am purely lazy. I don’t like taking the effort to think of innovative costumes, and then actually getting hold of those costumes.But there are so many people who get unimaginably excited...

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