The AD Museum was the centrepiece of the recent AD Design Show (December 16-18). With 75 photos and objects sourced from architects, museums, photographers and the Architectural Digest’s archives, it celebrated India’s 75 years.
Designed as a closed square, the temporary museum displayed “75 photographs and objects [ architectural models, artworks and handloom] that piece together the history of art, design and architecture in India post-independence”. The exhibits consisted of everything from Zarina Hashmi’s artworks and London-based architectural photographer Edmund Sumner’s series of the B.V. Doshi-designed Tagore Hall in Ahmedabad, to an appreciation of the logos of some of the country’s biggest public sector companies, such as Manu C Gajjar’s designs for BHEL and NCERT.
It is no surprise that the biggest focus was on architects — from the well-known Charles Correa’s Kanchanjunga to the lesser celebrated Didi Contractor and Habib Rahman (who was spotlighted for bringing ‘Bauhaus-derived training’ to his construction of Delhi’s first multi-storey buildings in RK Puram). The contemporary design landscape was well represented, too, whether they be Case Design’s Avasara Academy or Sameera Rathod’s house maquettes.
Over the last few years, India’s crafts have been getting their due, and this was reflected in a tapestry from Nelly Sethna. It was featured alongside contemporary fashion designers such as Abraham and Thakore, whose iconic houndstooth sari was displayed, and Sanjay Garg of Raw Mango who brought a mashru silk sari.
The museum, which gave visitors a glimpse into works from private collections, also illustrated the importance of design in the public sphere. That included Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh builds, Pradeep Sachdeva’s redevelopment of Chandni Chowk, which prioritises pedestrian traffic and stops cars from entering the main throughfare, and much more.
Taken together, the museum offered a bite-sized glimpse into the country’s past, curated by Deepthi Sasidharan of Eka Archiving Services, with research help from Rupal Shah.
The Mumbai-based food and travel writer also has a keen interest in design and music.
