Latest news with #KiranNadarMuseumofArt
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
'Death of architecture in Delhi' hides layers of history; explore forgotten tales from Mughal arches to Partition memories
Source: Outlook Traveller In South Delhi, a peaceful Spanish-style baroque house is set to be demolished to make way for a larger, developer-built structure. This is not an isolated case—such transformations are rapidly reshaping the city's landscape. For archaeologist, curator, and art historian Anica Mann, this marks more than just the loss of one home. She sees it as a symbol of the slow disappearance of Delhi's unique architectural identity. Speaking at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Mann described this trend as the 'death of architecture in Delhi,' where historic homes are being replaced by generic, modern structures with little character. Historian Anica Mann highlights Delhi's vanishing architectural memory Mann emphasised how Delhi's architectural memory is being erased in tandem with its history. 'The memory of the modern is being forgotten, just as the memory of Partition was,' she reflected. Through her project Delhi Houses, Mann has been documenting and archiving the city's disappearing architectural gems on Instagram. The aim was to preserve the stories and people behind these homes, before they're lost forever. The panel discussion also featured anthropologist Sarover Zaidi and architect Rafiq Kidwai. While the event could have devolved into pure nostalgia, it instead mapped the evolution of Delhi's architecture in response to shifting societal needs. Older Delhi homes weren't buildings; they were constructed around the lives of people living in them. Created for women and families, these homes had plenty of storage, expansive dining areas, and terrazzo floors that hid dust and were thus practical and pretty. Modern homes, though, are planned with resale value and cost-effectiveness in mind. They are small, cookie-cutter, and personality-free. Mann deplored the fact that, in the interest of being modern, we are sacrificing community and warmth for cold, impersonal living areas. As Zaidi so eloquently phrased it, "The drama of the house has been lost." Mughal-era houses in decline One of the photographs Mann presented was a former great 17th-century house from the Mughal era in Old Delhi. Although in ruin, its arches, carvings, and leaning trees told tales of a rich past. "Perfumed air from ittars would have filled the courtyard, while music and lively chatter echoed through the alleyways," Mann stated. Courtyards, which were the focus of Delhi residences, provided natural cooling and social interaction. These are a rarity today. The disappearance of joint families and legal division of properties have resulted in vertical building and the disappearance of open, shared areas. Barsatis (rooftop rooms) were culturally significant as well. They were spaces of congregation, exotic settings, and locations for movies such as Delhi-6. They are now promoted as luxury penthouses, removed from their collective origins. How architecture fostered connection and belonging Mann also remembered a trip to a century-old house on Hanuman Road, where an old couple still upheld daily routines such as presenting Shiuli flowers to Hindu gods. These houses are not mere abodes—they are vessels for culture and faith. But as nuclear families migrate to new suburbs, and ancient homes are divided or sold, these traditions disappear with the walls that once contained them. A number of the Old Delhi dwellings also had distinct features such as outdoor benches along the entrance, meant to facilitate neighborly interaction. These subtle but deliberate architectural touches created a sense of belonging and community now mostly missing in contemporary developments. How refugees shaped Delhi's urban landscape The discussion at KNMA also touched on Delhi's post-Partition identity. Mann described how families fleeing carried what they could—furniture, heirlooms, memories and invested their resilience into building new homes. These weren't merely survival shelters, but testaments to hope and pride. Architect Karl Malte Von Heinz was instrumental in designing homes for these refugee communities. His legacy is still seen in Jamia Millia Islamia's vintage school buildings, one of the parts of "a period of gracious living" described by Mann. As time passed, separate communities created their own niches throughout the city: Bengalis in CR Park, Northeasterners in Majnu Ka Tilla, Punjabis in Rajouri Garden. Each of these enclaves infused the city with its own cultural and architectural taste, entwining a rich urban fabric. Haunting presence of homes and memories During the Q&A session, one audience member raised the idea of haunted homes and referenced Walter Benjamin's notion that homes can emotionally linger long after we've left them. Mann drew a parallel with Japanese beliefs, where lovingly cared-for objects can acquire spiritual presence. 'An old house can feel alive with past experiences,' she said. 'Homelessness isn't just about lacking a roof; it's a haunting absence of rootedness.' Also Read | Cobra in the hospital! Snakebite victim's family brings live venomous snake that bit him; sparks panic and fear
New Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
‘Slow is the New Urgent': Art in a mall critiques consumerism, beauty, and digital surveillance
In a world spinning faster than our minds can catch up, we rarely stop to weigh the words that shape it. Capitalism. Climate. Consumerism. Conservation. These aren't just terms anymore — they've become buzzwords we scroll past, headlines we half-read. Kiran Nadar Museum of Art's 'Slow is the New Urgent' exhibition, set in the overlooked passage between Select Citywalk and South Court Mall in Saket, flips the script on consumer culture and fast living. It invites passersby to pause with the words we throw around and actually reflect. 'This was a liminal space. Completely dead, with very little footfall,' says curator Avik Debdas. 'Mall-goers and people working nearby would usually move between the two malls, but no one really walked through this passage.' That made it the perfect spot for public art. 'The exhibition focuses on public art, engagement, and interventions in shared spaces.' Featuring 11 contemporary artists from across India, this pop-up transforms a forgotten corridor into a space for critique. It tackles big themes from consumerism, climate change, to technology's impact on our lives, and digital surveillance.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Go! go! caravaggio! see his sacred game
16th c. Italian master-dramebaaz Caravaggio's 1606 painting ' Magdalene in Ecstasy ' (MiE), stumbled upon in a private collection in 2014, was to be on display at Delhi's Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) till May 18. Now, it's staying till May 30. So, if you haven't already gone to see it, then 'Go, go, Caravaggio!' and see it. If MiE were a film, it would open in slo-mo, drenched in chiaroscuro, as the Bible's 'Other Mary' collapses into divine rapture. Cue Ennio Morricone's haunting score. Forget delicate Renaissance Madonnas - this is full-throttle Baroque drama mixed with Kill is caught mid-swoon, her head tilted back, her body slack, as if she's just been hit by the full force of divine revelation - or, the final episode of a Netflix revenge saga. The lighting is pure Scorsese. A single beam cuts through the darkness, illuminating the Big M in a way that screams 'final showdown'. And talk about ambiguity. Is this spiritual ecstasy? Or something more visceral - shall we say, ' European art house '? Caravaggio, ever the provocateur, blurs the line between sacred and sensual, making this the perfect poster child for our OTT, maximalist era with its perfunctory statutory warnings. MiE is the OG (visual) climax, proving that centuries before Anurag Kashyap et al, Caravaggio was already rolling the credits on Sacred Games.
Mint
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
A to-do list of engaging summer activities for kids
Summer brings with it a certain ennui—there is a sudden break from the whirlwind daily routine of school. Friends too seem to be away on trips with family or engaged in enrichment classes. However, why not spend this time simply exploring different interests and having fun along the way? Creative practitioners across the country are offering activities—from walks and micro fairs to book clubs, movie evenings, art and craft sessions—to add a certain vibrance to languid summer days. Each summer, the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art organises 'Craftopia' for kids aged 6 to 14. This year, the theme promises to whisk you away in a time machine along ancient trade routes, workshops of scribes and royal courts where board games were played. Titled 'Travel Through Time', the summer arts programme will see young participants respond to various historical periods through art and craft. The workshops include 'Tales of Trade',as part of which children will get to create magic boxes inspired by the merchants of yore. They will delve into ancient scripts and communication systems in 'When Marks Became a Message', and will create paintings inspired by historical manuscripts in 'Mythic Miniatures'. The idea is to bring history alive through story-led explorations so that kids can reimagine the past through their own creative expression. At the National Museum, New Delhi, from 3-14 June. The annual summer theatre workshops are back at Mumbai's Prithvi Theatre. This year too the lineup includes theatre, storytelling, music and movement workshops for kids and young adults. Summertime@Prithvi encourages children to step away from the screen into fantastical worlds that they create with their peers and mentors. This year, some of the workshops will be conducted by stalwarts such as Makarand Deshpande, Anita Salim, Heeba Shah and Divya Jagdale. For instance, between 18-24 May, Jagdale will be conducting 'Be Your Story Inside Out', which is all about listening to oneself and connecting feelings with words. 11-17 May onwards, Anita and Aaryama Salim will be taking the participants through secrets and tricks of bringing the make-believe world alive by improvising with costumes, property and sets. In June, you will get to reimagine classic tales with Fable Street in 'Once Upon a Twist'. All through May and June at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai. Summer School 2025 Don't go by the name of 'Summer School'. Nothing about it is pedantic, formal or boring. Rather, this initiative by the British Council is all about developing self-expression in a fun and friendly environment. This year's programme, meant for kids aged 6 to 17, is based on two themes—communicating with clarity and engaging with confidence through writing, pitching of ideas and discussions. Different tasks, spread across two weeks, have been tailored for different age groups. To be held at the British Council Centres between 19-30 May and 2-13 June in Delhi and Kolkata, and between 19-30 May in Chennai. Parsi Dairy Farm in Mumbai promises to introduce kids to the good ol' holidays of the 1990s when vacations meant playing Stapoo, Four Corners and parlour games with friends. As part of the 'Summerland' experience, this age-old Mumbai dairy is organising a mela-like environment at its four stores for visitors of all ages—all you need to do is to have a childlike enthusiasm for life. Games such as 'Lassi Landslide', 'Toss-a-Toffee', 'Pin-the-Tail' and Hopscotch on the footpath are part of the lineup. And if you get tired, there are chilled mango desserts for the perfect ending to a hot summer day. At outlets in Marine Lines, Borivali, Ghatkopar and Varwada, Mumbai, till 25 May, 10 am to midnight. Theatre workshop by Vaishali Bisht Theatre professional Vaishali Bisht has been conducting workshops for kids, aged 6 to 12, in Hyderabad for the past two decades now. A scriptwriter and actor by profession, she strives to help children articulate their emotions physically and verbally through interesting role plays, fun games and movement exercises. 'By focusing on concentration, confidence, creative thinking and teamwork, the workshop equips them to deal with the unexpected twists and turns of life, both onstage and offstage,' she says. The next batch starts on 19 May in Hyderabad. Bookworm, a library-focused organisation in Goa, doesn't just offer reading programmes but takes the engagement with books a notch further. This summer it is organising a host of activities across spaces that it works out of in Mala (Fontainhas), Seraulim, Vinay & Jean Kalgutkar Community Centre (Saligao) and the Aldona Institute Library and Alban & Aurora Couto Community Library (Aldona). So, if there is a summer camp at Mala from 13-17 June, kids can explore storytelling through cinema at movie screenings such as Wolfwalkers in Seraulim on 17 May and Ponyo in Saligao on 26 May. For those who enjoy thrills and chills, there is a mystery reading club at the Seraulim space for kids aged 11 to 13 on 16, 23 and 30 May. There is a fascinating session on the Turkish map fold—a sculptural book form made from one piece of paper—at Mala on 28 May. Again in Seraulim, there is a sketchwalk on 28 May and a session exploring the non-fiction genre. Interesting read-alouds have been organised for 7 to 10-year-olds. All through May at various Bookworm venues in Goa. Workshops at Art Room The Art Room, a collaborative artistic space, is back with another season of summer camps for kids on diverse media and forms ranging from painting on canvas and mixed media to print making and bookmaking. Especially interesting is the paper pulp workshop in which participants will be introduced to two techniques of creating two-dimensional relief art projects using paper pulp and mixed media. There are engaging modules on Western and Indian art history—in the former you get to know about great Masters and their inspirations while learning the techniques that they favoured. The latter promises an immersive journey through the lives of 5 Indian artists from the modern and contemporary period. If it is the form and structure of books that interests the kids then the artist book making workshop is for them. They will get to look at the works of contemporary artists, who are using book making as their primary form. And then there is Dry Point, which will see the participants create etchings on plates and create two projects around printmaking. At Art Room, Sector 44, Gurugram, with different modules taking place between 19 May and 13 June. Khaki Tours, which helps people discover the heritage of Mumbai and beyond, regularly organises walks for children—besides people of other age groups—every weekend. This May, kids can try two walks taking place on alternate weekends: #Fort4Kids and #Bandra4Kids. The former is a 1.5-hour-long sojourn that takes one back to the time when there used to be an actual fort with a moat in the Fort area. The walk takes you through the streets of the neighbourhood to understand how the city began. #Bandra4Kids is all about family secrets, fishermen and farmers, villages enclosed by a city, and more. The idea is to understand why Bandra looks and feels so different from the rest of Mumbai. Kids would love to soak in stories behind the churches, crosses and grottos that populate the neighbourhood. All kids below 15 for both the walks in Mumbai need to be accompanied by an adult. To take place all through May; the calendar is available at
The Hindu
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Caravaggio's Magdalene in Ecstasy showcased in India for the first time
Inside the dimly lit gallery at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in Saket, a painting stands illuminated, as if lit from within. Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy by Italian artist Caravaggio is a masterpiece long considered lost to history. It has finally arrived in Delhi and brought with it an extraordinary tale of art, life, and rediscovery. Every brushstroke reveals the raw intensity of human emotion, every shadow deepens the mystery, and every gleam of light whispers of transcendence. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio's name stirs images of drama, passion, and unparalleled artistry. Known for his raw realism and revolutionary use of light and shadow, Caravaggio painted life as it was, unfiltered and unidealised. As Chief Curator, KNMA, Roobina Karode, describes, 'Caravaggio's work brought art closer to the ground and to people's lived experiences. He was a master of light and shadow, demanding undivided attention. Every brushstroke reveals the raw intensity of human emotion, every shadow deepens the mystery, and every gleam of light whispers of transcendence.' But Caravaggio's own life mirrored the tumult of his works. In 1606, accused of murder and fleeing for his life, he painted Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy. It was created in exile, a poignant portrayal of spiritual transcendence born from personal chaos. The painting, however, disappeared for centuries. Its rediscovery in 2014, authenticated by leading historians, was nothing short of a miracle. This work, once shrouded in mystery, is now here for the first time in India. Italian Ambassador Antonio Bartoli says, the landmark exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience the mastery of one of the Baroque era's most influential artists. 'Caravaggio upended the traditional canons of his time, introducing models from real life and cinematic lighting in his works.' The beauty of Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy lies in its striking contrasts and lifelike details. Her peaceful expression is set against the dramatic play of light and shadow that Caravaggio is famous for. The folds of her robe look soft and real, while her glowing skin seems almost alive in the gentle light. Her half-closed eyes and slightly open lips capture a moment of deep spiritual detail pulls the viewer closer to an , emotional experience. 'It was a profoundly calming and spiritual experience. The beauty and depth of the original painting left me in awe, and I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to witness it,' said Narayani Harigovindan, a visitor at the art gallery. Art has a way of transcending time and place, of connecting us to something larger than ourselves. According to Kiran Nadar, Founder of KNMA, the masterpiece offers the audience a chance to engage with a legacy that has fascinated generations. 'It's a bridge between cultures, a moment to experience the transformative power of art, she says.' For Delhi's art conoisseurs, the exhibition is an invitation to stand before a piece of history,feel the life pulsing through Caravaggio's work, and reflect on the universality of human emotion. At KNMA Saket; Till May 18; 10.30am to 6.30pm
