Then & Them
Exhibition
Design Brief:
To design and execute an exhibition from concept to completion, encompassing all stages of the exhibition-making process, including research, curation, graphic design, spatial design, production, marketing, and on-site installation.
process:
The exhibition is developed in collaboration with the NID Archives, which serve as the primary source for archival content and research material. The brief emphasizes the integration of archival narratives into a cohesive and engaging visitor experience, while addressing both conceptual framing and practical execution. The objective is to translate archival material into an accessible, meaningful, and well-crafted exhibition that effectively communicates its theme to diverse audiences.
Then & Them was an exhibition that explored the history of exhibitions done by NID and its contribution to nation-building between the 1960s and 1980s. This project was done in collaboration with the NID archives with its all the contents being sourced from the archive.
The exhibition featured photographs, videos and installations from a collection of exhibitions, highlighting the role of NID in shaping the way a post-independent nation is perceived.
The audience witnessed the evolution of exhibition design practices at NID, projects commisioned by the government of India and how that shaped the design curriculum at not only the institute but also the country
The brief became an opportunity for us to uncover the origins of our own discipline. We look at exhibition design at NID as a bridge between the institue and the nation at its time of comeuppance.
NID's exhibitions became a medium to represent, infrom, connect, preserve and position the nation. We connected these aspects through three major exhibitions, which the institute participated in with vigorous collaboration and detail.
Our exhibition thus became an inquiry into the impact of the same onto NID and the nation as it is now, and vice versa as well as the means to find relevance within the past
These exhibitions played a huge part in how India was viewed on a global perspective. Looking back at it from today, viewers do not know what went behind the scenes, the people and organisations that joined hands to make it come to fruition. The graphic identity of the exhibition played with the idea of transparency and of looking beyond the surface, to shed light on the role that NID and the art of exhibition design played in a post independent India.
The exhibition was highly successful, drawing hundreds of visitors and garnering attention from multiple news outlets, as well as hosting several special guests.
Click here to see the showreel
Credits-
Exhibition Team:
Amen Shan, Anika Bhosle, Aniket Biju, Khushi Purohit, Minnati Sharma, Mugdha Shejale, Purvi Chauhan, Sakshi Chauhan, Sanika Joshi, Sanjivini Bhat, Savli Divekar, Theresa Alappat, Vedang Supatkar and Vibhuti Jain
Photography:
Riz Rishi Sahu and Nikhil Bhandawar
Guided by :
Shemal Pandya
