SOUTH ASIAN MODERNISMS

Art Atrium, 12 Daniel St. Botany, Sydney

2-16 March 2024

Opening Event with Launch by

Clover Moore AO, Lord Mayor of Sydney

Wed 6 March ; 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Viewing & Drinks with Curator

Amit Srivastava, Director (India) CAMEA

Sat 2 March ; 2:30pm – 4:30pm

Recent international scholarship and awards have attracted new critical attention to the legacy of modern architecture in South Asia. Previously understood as part of the universal transformations in architecture brought about by the projects of modernisation, the shear diversity and context-specific ingenuity of these architectural works indicates a richer, much more plural and multi-lateral story. Unfortunately, however, many of these works have already succumbed to untimely demolition due to a lack of knowledge or appreciation in their home countries of their wider importance as modernist architectural heritage. This travelling exhibition aims to raise greater awareness of this issue through contextual photographs of representative spaces and buildings. It further builds on recent South Asia focused initiatives by internationally influential museums and collections, including the Centre Pompidou (CP) in Paris (2013), Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) in Frankfurt (2017), and most recently the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York (2022), by highlighting the contributions of Australian scholarship.

Featuring photographs by Randhir Singh (commissioned by MoMA New York). 

The exhibition is organised by Peter Scriver and Amit Srivastava from CAMEA and Anoma Pieris and Farhan Karim from SAUHA.