IT’S a celebration when art meets design and vice versa. You are greeted heARTily with either side of the pavilion of Design POV 2025 flanking the best of Art & Soul’s hotlist A-Y artists as you enter. The gallery presented a curated selection of works as part of the inaugural chapter at Jio Convention Centre, BKC. The cARTpet series held its own in the mighty long formidable list.
The Indian Summer Salon
SUMESH Sharma, co-curator of “The Indian Summer Salon” throws light on the inspiration for the collection at Design POV, “The art salon is an exhibition held annually to showcase the avant-garde in art and technique across various cities around the world.”
The salon began in Paris at the end of the 19th century around 1880 to showcase portrait painting, landscape, sculpture, decoration, nature morte and mise-en-scene. But its origin comes from the large-scale exhibition called “L’Exposition’” or “The Exhibition” at the Grand Palais in Paris that took place in 1673.
In the forming editions, the continuum is to provide opportunity in diversity so that patronage encourages creators to make art, through collecting.
Reimagine Your World
THE ability to be a child is the cradle of creativity. Bending the linear results in a brilliant aesthetic, one that is functional as the displays reflect for decor both interiors and outdoors My pick for an outdoor standalone that defies and reinvents the straight line is Sumessh Menon’s bench.
I marvel at the purpose and form-driven decor solutions under one roof. The mastery of the unseen or invisible perfection of the Pivot Door Swiss project. It underplays the genius behind its simplicity. Another favourite is the role-play of light through Sunroof solutions that makes you aware of what we take for granted but is elemental to our surroundings and existence. Another exhibit that combines the playful with the possibilities of themed interiors is “The Mad Hatters Party.” New entrant Swamy Marmo’s marble is what dream decor is made of. Design POV also challenged architects to use the vendor list from lighting, to paint, flooring and fittings to create spaces. Each participant brought a fresh perspective to this showcase with the materiality and styling.
Bhakti
WHILE at the Jio Convention Centre, BKC you have to visit The Art House. The current exhibition “Bhakti” dedicated to Krishna is very different from the one held some months back. The harmony of spiritual influences translates into exquisite crafts over four floors. At the ground floor level the traditional embroidery, painting and beautiful Tanjavur handcrafts, have artisans who demonstrate the art. We are indeed culturally blessed with variety in diverse expressions of artefacts. It gives us hope when corporate patronage sustains the arts.
47A
THE transformational social reach of nine traditional artists in three Indigenous art forms sees a remarkable outcome in “Mentoring Magic.” This is when purpose meets social impact. The pricing was affordable and the art amazing!
More Avid Learnings
THIS time the Avid series on Bombay, present-day Mumbai, unfolded the intricacies of the origin, placement, technicalities and restoration of fountains, the BEST transport which is meant to be a for-the-people solution and the baseline that embraces us all, the great leveller —street food.
My growing memories include my mother taking us for a stroll to Chembur (E) station to tantalise our tastebuds with “bhel puri” or “ragda (pea) patties made of potato” at the Gupta stall. Dosas were not street food then, maybe cycles ferrying filter coffee were. Grinding my teeth on tart “karvanda” from the “Bhora” (berry) stall, buying a packet of dried “awala” (gooseberry) at three paise and the stalls of “vada” then, have come a long way. Today the khao gullies brimming with “non-veg” at Bhindi bazaar have stretched to Mahim causeway.
Suburbs like Ghatkopar’s abundant veg options like the “dabeli roti” (bread filled with a potato filling fried on a tava and sprinkled with the ubiquitous sev for crunch and pomegranate for poshness) are just the tip of tummy ticklers. Bombay sandwich has acquired many options and the bhutawala (roasted corn seller) has stacks of sweet potato with some sweet corn. Come summer and you have cartloads of cucumber. The lip-smacking came from the salt and chilli that was generously slathered with lime.
This city is all stomach! Canon stall opposite VT changed our palettes to slurp a spiced mash of veggies and lime with buttery pao (bread loaf) swiped hot off the tava. I can indulge the timeline of evolution in Bombay-Mumbai food but let’s pause with grace after meals for now.
The BEST Model
I RECALL the fixture of 5-15 paise surcharge since the 1971 war added to the bus fare that ranged from 10 paise upward. The hike in fares serves as an index of the spike or plunge in those who are willing to use public transport. Price sensitivity is vital for a congested city, choking on traffic and its emissions, and not consumers from the social strata that use it. In any case, sometimes it is better to “chalo” (walk) than use the app. After my recent fling when BEST brakes jammed hard enough to get me a fat medical bill, I am now back to the idiosyncrasies of rickshaws and Uber drivers.
As for the few fountains, the intersection that embodies all the above elements is not Fort’s Flora Fountain but rather the recently restored 160-year-old Bandra railway station. And while you are there, piping hot tea, “khichda” ( meat stewed overnight with lentils and garam masala over coal), kebabs and biryani beckon food for thought this weekend, as you reflect on the social fabric from commerce-driven entrepreneurs to migrant settlers of bustling Maximum City.