From ancient temples and the stepwells to the gardens and modern icons of India, the India Art Architecture and Design Biennale 2023 (IAADB’23) organized by the Ministry of Culture has kicked of today at the iconic Red Fort at Delhi. The maiden Biennale was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday.
Starting today the exhibitions, panel discussions, student Biennale, workshops, and art bazaar will be open to the public from 9 December to 15 December. The Biennale features keynote addresses on each day by international artists, architects, and designers besides the cultural programs. The pavilions, part of the Biennale, will be on display for public until 31 March 2024.
Along with launching a special stamp to commemorate the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design’. He emphasized the importance of freedom of thought and working in one’s own way for the flourishing of art, architecture, and culture. He stated that a society with a tradition of debate and dialogue automatically promotes diversity and welcomes and supports all forms of diversity.
Speaking at the event, he stated that there was a need to establish an identity for Indian cultural projects like IAADB. The government is actively working towards formalizing international cultural initiatives and building a contemporary framework inspired by events held in cities like Venice, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, and Dubai.
Forums like India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale are vital to celebrating and nurturing our rich cultural heritage.
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
This week-long event will revolve around seven themes, with each day dedicated to a specific theme with a corresponding coffee table publication – Pravesh (Doors of India), Bagh-e-Bahar (Gardens of India), Sampravah (Baolis or the step-wells of India), Sthaypatya (Temples of India), Vismaya (Architectural Icons of Independent India), Deshaj (Indigenous Design), and Samatva (Women in Architecture and Design).
The event is curated by the National Gallery of Modern Art, along with the National Council of Science Museums, the Archaeological Survey of India, the Lalit Kala Akademi, the Council of Architecture, and the Outreach Department of the Ministry of Education. Besides this, the Ministry had announced an open call on their social media inviting artists and curators to submit their work for IAADB’23. With about 560 queries and 260 submissions, 150 selected entries will be on display at the venue. A Student Biennale – Samunnati, will be organized from the 9 December to 15 December at the Lalit Kala Akademi.
Smt. Mugdha Sinha, IAS, shared that there was a need to make art, architecture and design accessible to people at large, and this Biennale plays this role.
There is a gap between the elite and masses when it comes to this field, and through this event, the endeavour is to reduce the gap that exists between elite connoisseurs and mass audiences.
Mugdha Sinha, IAS, Joint Secretary GLAM, Culture, GoI
During the Museum Expo 2023, which was held in May this year, the Culture Ministry signed five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Varanasi, designating cultural spaces for citizens. At a press conference at the National Museum held in November, Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs, Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi announced that the Biennale will showcase a diverse range of traditional artisans, contemporary designers, curators, and thought leaders.
The Biennale is an innovative initiative to celebrate India’s rich artistic heritage, spanning ancient, modern, contemporary, and tech-driven art, architecture, and design, as stated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Very interesting and informative article.
Best wishes…