Art Deco has been a part of Mumbai’s social fabric since the inauguration of the city’s very first edifice in the style in 1933 - the much loved Regal Cinema. Marine Drive and the Oval may be iconic examples of this style, but Art Deco also sneaks up on you everywhere in the city. It is there as you walk the by lanes of Sewri, Byculla, Matunga, Mahim all the way up to the northern suburb of Kandivali. In Bandra, it provides succour to believers in the form of Carmel Church and then plays hide-and-seek with its cosmopolitan residents. It watches over you as you get your COVID boosters at Nanavati Hospital in Juhu. Even right outside this gallery, in Khotachiwadi itself, and in neighbouring Girgaum, we see it meld into modernity, quietly waiting to be noticed.
The timeless appeal of Art Deco often lies in simple, streamlined and stylized shapes that are playful yet elegant. Everywhere it lives, Art Deco speaks of newness, hope and modernity. With a flourish of graceful curves and elegant forms, it gentles the pace of Mumbai, a city that is always in a rush.
As you will see in this exhibition, Art Deco continues to influence how we see, and converse with the city. The displayed objects enable the viewer to imagine a life in Art Deco, through the series of photographs of architectural realities and antiques. Contemporary artists and designers continue to be inspired by it, expressing through the medium of paintings, textiles, wall coverings, fashion as well as items of everyday use.
Baro Market and I invite you to find in this exhibition an expression of Art Deco that is at once historical and personal.
Kunal Shah
Mumbai, 2022
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