AD explores the 2016 Kochi-Muziris Biennale through the eyes of the artists bringing new perspectives to the fair with their work, and the man helping them realize their artistic vision.
A shaft of light knifes in through the roof of one of the warehouses of Aspinwall House at Fort Kochi. At the time of writing—a few weeks before the Kochi-Muziris Biennale will take over the city— the place smells of cobwebs, moss, dust motes and time. It is the kind of cavernous room where even hushed whispers tend to expand into echoes. The floor too needs measured negotiation; one careless step could bring you in undesirable contact with fresh cow dung or a stagnant puddle of water. It is obvious that nature has free run of the place when it’s not in use.
PLANNING AHEAD
Shyam Patel—the head of production for the biennale— thoughtfully sizes up the scale of maintenance required as we move from one warehouse to another, weaving our way around large sheds and an unoccupied old residential bungalow in the 14,164-square-metre property. Built in 1867, the Aspinwall House was once rich with the sounds and smells of a flourishing trade in pepper, timber, lemon grass, ginger, coconut oil, coffee and coir. Today, it is one of the main venues for the biennale— and all you hear through the day is the Arabian Sea lapping at the perimeter wall.
This story is from the November 2016 edition of AD Architectural Digest India.
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This story is from the November 2016 edition of AD Architectural Digest India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
50 YEARS OF MAHENDRA DOSHI
As a child I remember accompanying my parents on their collecting trips. Going to museums, art galleries and furniture warehouses is what we did on Sunday mornings in the 1980s in Bombay. There were no malls and my parents felt guilty leaving us home. We were welcomed into these treasure troves of art and design with equal élan by their humble owners, who were always there on the shop floor. Holiday or not. And that is how one spring morning, I met the doyen of period furniture, Mahendra Doshi. We would spend hours with him in his dusty cavern-like basement, nestled against the Arabian Sea with a view of the entire Queen's Necklace. I remember seeing stars in my father's eyes. He did that when he saw things he liked. My parents may or may not have picked up a piece, but I always took back a story. For amidst those dusty alleys of piled up \"junk\" and heaps of old furniture lay stories of history, homes and heritage. Stories we were regaled with by the gentle giant. He was simply Mahendra bhai to my parents and Mahendra uncle to me.
TERRA PAVILION
IS A STARK STRUCTURE OF EXPOSED CONCRETE AND GLASS, BUILT AS A SUSTAINABLE, RESTFUL SANCTUARY IN A WINDING FORESTED EXPANSE OUTSIDE OF AHMEDABAD, DESIGNED BY KHUSH NU PANTHAKI HOOF AND SÖNKE HOOF OF STUDIO SANGATH.
PALINDA KANNANGARA'S
FIRST RESIDENTIAL PROJECT IN INDIA IS A HOME IN BENGALURU DESIGNED WITH HIS SIGNATURE
SAMRAKSHAN INDIA
Architect Ajith Andagere often quotes Mexican poet Octavio Paz: \"To be truly modern, we must first reconcile ourselves with our traditions.\"That central thought is the crux of Andagere's mission. In 2017, he set up Samrakshan India-a not-for-profit focused on documenting India's vernacular architecture, considering the inherent wisdom in vernacular typologies and making them relevant to our modern lives. \"Documentation, conservation, adaptive reuse, and education\"-that's the role that this architect has taken on. AD visits Andagere's studio on the outskirts of Bengaluru as well Shurpali HouseSamrakshan India's first restoration project-a 150-year-old ancestral home close to the Krishna River, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, a nine-hour drive from his studio. Andagere took it on, along with his team of architects and craftsmen, and today what we see, post-restoration, is someone's ancestral family home given a new life.
Raw Mango Agama
TEXTILES HAVE BEEN INTEGRAL TO THE STORYTELLING AT AD IN PRINT. IN A NATURAL STEP AHEAD, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE AD DESIGN SHOW THIS YEAR OPENED WITH A GARMENT PRESENTATION. THE MOOD, THE MUSIC, THE PEOPLE, THE TEXTILES EVERYTHING WAS MAGIC.
JAIVEER JOHAL'S CHENNAI HOME IS
FLANKED BY THE ADYAR RIVER ON ONE SIDE AND THE BAY OF BENGAL ΟΝ THE OTHER, AND ANCHORED IN A SEA OF ART AMIDST WHICH HE LIVES IN THIS BOLDLY DESIGNED ONEBEDROOM APARTMENT
60 Years of Chemould
In telling the story of Gallery Chemould, Jerry Pinto writes a short history of art in the city
Bijoy Jain
AT FONDATION CARTIER
Treasure Hunt at Alessi
Cristina Kiran Piotti visits the Alessi Museum in Omegna, Italy, and discovers India-inspired creations in the archive of an iconic Italian design house.
What's New at the Art Fair
Design gets a special space at this year’s India Art Fair, with the iconic Carpenters Workshop Gallery curating a section along with Ashiesh Shah.
