Journalism of Courage
The general view on architecture is that it is more science than art: a discipline of orderly arrangement of concrete structures rather than shapes of imagination. With the world of art stretching its boundaries and connecting ideas with other disciplines,in the last few years,art in architecture has been gaining increasing acceptance. Architecture is the mother of all arts,goes an old saying, says Aaron Schwarz,an architect and the curator of an upcoming show at Mumbai Art Room,the experimental art space in Colaba.
Titled Bijoy Jain and Kapil Gupta Indian Contemporary Architects,it will showcase the architects drawings,photographs,reference models,and snippets. It is an inside view of an architects studio,that attempts to peep into what goes on there. It is not static as is with most exhibits that are framed on the walls,it gives the viewers a sense of where they draw their ideas from, says Schwarz,husband of Mumbai Art Rooms director Susan Hapgood.
Jain and Gupta,celebrated in the architect circle,have their respective studios named Studio Mumbai and Serie Architects. They are putting together a carefully-selected array of items
to be put on display during the show that will open on June 28. It will be on till
August 2.
Schwarz originally from New York and living in Mumbai for the last two years has had a ringside view of the architecture scene of both worlds. And works of contemporary Indian architects such as Jain and Gupta,he says,match the international standards. Their works speak the contemporary global language,but are grounded in Indian contexts: given the vast difference in climate,culture,and labour, he says.
The Mumbai Art Room has been host to experimental art projects over two years since its inception expanding the limits of artistic practices in India and how it is viewed. Like with shows in the past that have seen a merging of art,architecture and design,this one too attempts to broaden the perspective of the citys art-goer.
Jain and Gupta are well-known as artists and would attract the art community. But more importantly,we hope to reach beyond just the gallerists and art collector and bring the architect into the art space.
