Art Deco 1

Organized by Badan Warisan Malaysia.

Live Webinar Details
Date: Thursday, 28 July 2022
Time: 6:30 PM (Kuala Lumpur, GMT+8)
Topic: Mumbai: Art Deco Jewel of India
Speaker: Atul Kumar
Moderator: Ar. Anand Krishnan
Venue: Virtual – Zoom Webinar
Free Admission

About The Talk

Mumbai, India’s financial and film capital, boasts the world’s second-largest collection of Art Deco buildings. Not unlike Malaysian cities like Kuala Lumpur, the style arrived in the city, then known as Bombay, in the early 1930s, and continued to develop until the mid-1950s. Through this visual presentation, Atul Kumar, Founder Trustee, Art Deco Mumbai Trust, will take you on a virtual tour of select Art Deco buildings from this period, and contextualise this modern architectural development in the city.

This era was also significant for several other occurrences in India. The struggle for independence from British rule was in full swing in the early 20th century, with several emerging ideas of what it meant to be an Indian in the modernising new world. The modern architectural form of Art Deco often gave expression to many of these ideas through relief work, design features and building elements conceived by first-generation Indian architects, in collaboration with homegrown contractors and independent artists. Notably, this style also embodied the development of Bombay as a modern metropolis, as new lands were being reclaimed from the sea to accommodate the burgeoning influx of workers and professionals, from the hinterlands as well as various parts of the world. Today, the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai are a recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is the spirit of a cosmopolitan city built by its citizens that has made this inscription possible. Join us for a talk that looks at the social, cultural and economic narratives that played a role in shaping the Art Deco development in Bombay, and the wave of cosmopolitanism it engendered. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.

About the Speaker

Atul Kumar is the Founder Trustee of Art Deco Mumbai. He is passionate about conservation, civic and governance issues and preserving Mumbai’s iconic modern living Art Deco heritage. For the past 15 years, he has worked actively on these issues, especially within south Mumbai’s Art Deco heritage precinct. He is also on the board of several Trusts that work for preservation of open spaces, civic issues and social welfare. He is a Member of the Board of the International Coalition of Art Deco Societies (ICADS).

About The Moderator

Anand was educated at the University of New South Wales, Sydney University and Harvard University. He has worked in various offices including Liu Thai Ker, Kerry Hill, Woods Bagot and M Moser and is the principal of Manufakture Design Sdn Bhd and Anand Krishnan Architect. Outside practice, he has written extensively on architecture and urban design and has been teaching senior design studios in local and overseas universities for over 10 years. Since 2019, he has been a Council Member of Badan Warisan Malaysia. In his spare time, he loves to sketch places he visits.

About Art Deco Mumbai

The Art Deco Mumbai Trust is dedicated to showcasing Mumbai’s Art Deco, advocating its conservation, researching and chronicling its history, and photo documenting its Deco neighbourhoods. Founded in 2016, its ongoing photo documentation has identified over 825 Art Deco buildings across the city. As part of its outreach, the Trust also hosts walking tours, public lectures and workshops. Their website, www.artdecomumbai.com, is the only comprehensive online public domain repository of information on Mumbai’s Art Deco. The Trust brings Art Deco into the city’s mainstream dialogue on heritage, and empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions. Since 2018, Art Deco Mumbai has been a member of the International Coalition of Art Deco Societies (ICADS).