Amethyst in Chennai is delighted to host “Time Present Time Past”, a solo exhibition by the internationally acclaimed photographer Sebastian Cortés. This evocative showcase is part of the invited projects for .  .Phase 2 of Chennai Photo Biennale – Edition 4 ., offering visitors a captivating exploration of memory, time, and preservation through Cortés' distinctive lens.

The exhibition will run from January 13 to January 17, 2025, at the iconic The Folly, Amethyst, presenting a unique opportunity to engage with the poetic and thought-provoking works of this celebrated artist.

About the Exhibition

Through his photography, Cortés takes viewers on a journey through spaces imbued with traces of life, history, and resilience. He poses profound questions through his imagery:
Is it a room or a chamber? Is it contained or does it reach out to infinity? Is it suspended in time, or is it aging as we speak?

These photographs transform mundane objects and forgotten spaces into profound visual narratives that bridge the past and present. Cortés reinvents remains, framing fragments, traces, and objects as testaments to Time Past. His lens captures their endurance against decay and abandonment, creating poetic compositions that resonate with melancholic beauty and invite reflection on the passage of time.

About the Artist

Sebastian Cortés is an internationally renowned lifestyle and fashion photographer with a deep commitment to fine art photography. Influenced by the American school of photography, including Stephen Shore, William Eggleston, and Fox Talbot, Cortés has cultivated a distinctive approach to capturing the layering of time and the essence of place.

His photographs serve as documents of resilience and transformation, reflecting his mastery of the camera as a tool for recording “the injuries of time.” With a profound sense of melancholic loss, his work offers a layered narrative that lingers with the viewer long after the first glance.