Auroville 80 – The poetry of daily life

Nadia is a photographer, geographer, and has been the president of AVI-France for the last ten years. She first came to Auroville in 1973. 

In mid September, she presented some of her photos of Auroville from the 1980s at an exhibition at the Centre d’Art in Citadines.

The exhibition showcases a selection from a wider collection of photos published a couple years ago in the book The Poetry of the Daily Life. In these photos that capture moments of daily life, she gives us an intimate glimpse of the Auroville she lived in during the 80s. Accompanying texts beautifully weave the historic and present-day context of these shots from the 80s (for example on afforestation and dam installation), reminding us of the progress and success that has been achieved over the years.

At the time there were only about 500 people residing in Auroville, and the small scale and simplicity of things compared to today is the most striking element of the exhibition. Forgotten moments of everyday life are captured in the images, such as the bullock-cart deliveries, small general meetings, as well as the more familiar and iconic barren red expanses of soil with the ocean still visible from a distance. During the opening of the exhibition, one could see these images brightening up people's faces with smiles. For some, the images represented glimpses from their childhood, for others memories of their pioneering days, and for others who might not have been present at the time, a peek into a collective history they have not lived.

The exhibition conveys how much work and perseverance was put forth over the years. Manifested in the harshest conditions, the foundations were laid for the abundance that has manifested today and that is yet to come.