'ADDA' redefines gallery space

A huge, soft bed placed in the centre of the gallery.

- ROUSHAN CHATTERJEE

People slowly walked up to it and then sat down beside strangers. Some leaned back and relaxed. Some simply watched the surroundings. Outside, the building’s windows were covered with letters from both Bengali and English language, and the patio buzzed with the nostalgia of childhood days. This was the scenario at TRI Art & Culture during the opening of its latest exhibition.

Recently, the centre opened its doors to its most immersive exhibition, ‘ADDA: The Third Space’. Curated by St+art India Foundation, the exhibition turns TRI’s heritage building into a sensory journey inspired by the street life of Kolkata.

The exhibition takes its name from the Bengali word ‘adda’, which refers to a place of long talks and warm connections. It uses this idea to explore what lies between public and private, street and home, movement and rest.

The exhibition utilises every corner of the triangular building: the facade, the terrace, patio, staircase and both gallery floors. Each artwork is placed where it belongs, responding to the space around it.