The ongoing IAADB puts a restless show at the Red Fort through interactive installations on different themes
With 7 themed pavilions, India Art, Architecture & Design Biennale (IAADB) explores a range of monuments that cross over the realms of art, architecture and design.
Against the imposing backdrops of the Red Fort, the ongoing show (on till March 31st) combines physical and digital exhibitions as well as interactive installations on different themes.
Here are the seven themes at the India Art, Architecture & Design Biennale (IAADB) :
- Pravesh (Doors of India), Rite of Passage.
- Bagh-e-Bahar (Gardens of India), Gardens of the universe.
- Sampravah (Baolis of India), Confluence of Communities.
- Sthapatya (Temples of India), Antifragile Alogrithm.
- Vismaya (Architectural Wonders of Independent India), Creative Crossovers.
- Deshaj (Indigenous Design), Bharat x Design.
- Samatva (Women in Architecture and Design), Shaping the Buil
Expressing a profound reverence for the enduring legacy of temples, pavilion Sthapatya showcases the rich craftsmanship in temple architecture, which is indeed a timeless testament to human creativity and craftsmanship.
As per Mugdha Sinha, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, “This is the first time that the government has stepped in to do a biennale. The time was right to create a product in the cultural space as the canvas got broader and more egalitarian, inspiring a huge number of people,” she says.
Roma Madan Soni immortalises the historical, architectural and artistic grandeur of the Hoysaleshwara Temples, with a three-metre-tall mixed multimedia interactive artwork.
Ashok Singh meticulously carves replicas of the gopuram, a prominent structure of South Indian temples as well as the Nandi statue located in the Veerbhadra temple at Lepakshi in Andhra Pradesh.
Scrap metal artist Zakir Khan crafts intricate models that represent renowned structures, such as the Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram and the musical pillars of Hampi. The pavilion also consists of a carefully curated collection of Raja Ravi Varma’s lithographic press.
Featuring a large collection of paintings, sculptures and objects reflecting the rich diversity of indigenous artistic expressions across various states, the exhibition also showcases works of mainstream urban artists who have been inspired by indigenous art forms.
Swati Janu curates Samatva, an exploration of women’s contribution to architecture. There is very little documentation and dissemination about the contributions of first-generation women architects of the country, beginning with Eulie Chowdhury.
“From donors to dwellers, women’s pivotal role in architecture building in our history and contemporary times calls for readdressing the male-centric monophony in the field,” asserts Komal Pande, Deputy Curator, National Museum.
Using oral history recordings, visual documentation and storytelling tools, the archive traces the journeys of 80 women practitioners, mapping their contributions as significant landmarks in the larger narrative of India’s architectural history.
An architect uses industrial and humble materials as a powerful reminder that modernism hopes to change society through good design and that good design does not require luxury consumption or hefty price tags.
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