Delhi by Design

Last week we saw Delhi’s transformation into the South Asian art hub. The India Art Fair seemed to produce a ripple across the capital with several collateral activities and major shows by art world heavyweights. From Subodh Gupta’s retrospective at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Sudarshan Shetty’s body of work at SKE’s new space, LN Tallur at Nature Morte, Nalini Malani at Vadehra and a skilfully curated group show at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art; almost every major gallery and museum opened a new show. Of course, the list doesn’t end there; curated walks at the Devi Art Foundation, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale catalogue launch, collaborative exhibitions like Word.Sound.Power and Insert2014 curated by Raqs Media Collective, the Forbes India Art Awards and more parties than I could keep up with.

This month we’ll see Delhi host some major design events. We already talked about BE OPEN and its design philanthropy last week, it just so happens that they aren’t the only ones celebrating design in the capital. The city will also host India Design Week (IDW) sponsored by Elle Décor; just in its second edition, the new platform seeks to put Indian design on the global map, creating the opportunity for local brands to present their collections on international platforms. Planting the seeds of design in over 65 locations around Delhi and with an exhibition at the NCIS grounds, IDW seems committed to take the city by storm.

Celebrating fields ranging from product, interior and lighting design to architecture and installation, the week-long event starts tomorrow with off-site activities across Delhi’s creative districts. If you’re not sure where to start, we thought we’d help you get around!  

Exhibit ID
When: February 14-16
Where: NCIS Grounds
What: High-end designers and brands will present their collections at individual booths, showcasing current trends in home decoration and design. With an extensive choice of local and international brands and products all under a single roof, the exhibit is ideal for serious buyers and design aficionados alike.
Who: Participating brands include The Charcoal Project, Valcucine, The Pure Concept, Apartment 9, Peter D’Ascoli, Klove, Creo, Patine, Poltrona Frau, Foley Designs, Asian Paints and more.

ID Symposium
When: February 14-15
Where: NCIS Grounds
What: Experts will share ideas through interactive sessions and discussions with internationally acclaimed designers and creative professionals. The discussions cover topics that range from conceptual and theoretical concerns to practical techniques, current styles and associated technology.

A not-to-miss event for architecture and design students and enthusiasts.  

Who: Jonathan Adler (USA), Rosita Missoni (Italy), Kishore Biyani (India), Abhishek Lodha (India), Juergen Mayaer H (Germany) Paul Cocksedge (UK) and Tasneem Mehta (India) among others.

ID Satellite: Style and the City
When: February 10-16
Where: Over 65 participating venues will feature design- linked activities through the course of the week.
What: ID Satellite takes design to the streets of Delhi through activities across the city’s design districts. These include everything from launches, reviews, previews and special events. Follow my instagram handle @ashieshshah for live updates from the Dhaka Art Summit, BE OPEN and India Design Week.

Shout out

Kala Ghoda Art Festival?
Last week as I ambled through the busy streets of the Kala Ghoda Art Festival, I couldn’t quite shake the feeling of disappointment. The once novel festival has been reduced to mediocre art installations and with hardly any traditional handicrafts.

I’m waiting to take off for Dhaka as I’m writing this (with practically all of the Mumbai art community). We’re headed to see what the Samdani’s have single handedly put together.

Everywhere from Delhi, Dhaka, Columbo, Kochi and even Chennai has a relevant art festival/fair or summit.

Not a single one of my co-travellers has been to the Kala Ghoda Festival in years and here they are flying to another country for an art summit.

Kochi Muziris Biennale
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale’s much-awaited catalogue is finally out. The 770 page long official catalogue has reportedly been largely sponsored by biennale trustee and art aficionado, Poonam Bhagat. The catalogue documents the works by the 89 artists who participated in the inaugural edition of the biennale curated by Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu. The 3 kg compilation is definitely a must- buy for any collector and if you plan on picking it up yourself, be prepared for some heavy lifting. While we’re on the subject, I’d like to congratulate Jitish Kallat, who will be curating the next edition of biennale opening this December.