2021 has been a difficult year for VarnikaDesigns but we kept on our endeavour of making heritage and history accessible and inclusive, an arduous task in the global Covid lockdown year. Thank you for your constant support and motivation ♥️♥️♥️
Beyond the Palace: creating new approaches, empowering artisans design a new paradigm
Through 'Beyond the Palace: creating new approaches' series, VarnikaDesigns is immensely honoured to bring to you a set of 5 video interviews with 6 amazing women entrepreneurs from the erstwhile royal families of India. We asked them how they are empowering artisans design a new paradigm, their future plans, how they extend their family’s royal legacy and preserve heritage through social media and how they are making their family’s and India’s culture accessible and inclusive. Follow us on the VarnikaDesigns Instagram profile from November 26 - 29, 2021 for their stories.This series is to help promote the unique fundraiser auction 'India for Artisans' by 200 M Artisans, CD and StoryLtd to raise money for India's artisans to be held online on 30th November, 2021, 8AM - 8PM IST for which VarnikaDesigns is a Cause partner
Review of exhibition of Annie Morris and Idris Khan
It’s out! My review of the exhibition of the work of Annie Morris and Idris Khan seen at the Gallierie Isa in 2020 January at Mumbai.
Durga Pujo Specials: An offering for you <3
Wishing everyone a very Happy, Safe and Healthy Durga Pujo 🙂 This is the second Durga Pujo during the lockdown induced by the dreaded Covid 19. Nearly everyone is exhausted and drained - emotionally, physically, financially, intellectually and every other possible way. We have collected a special offering for you which are inspired from Durga Pujo celebrations from Bengal. We would not want you to miss out on the festivities associated with this festival and season ❤ so re live your memories and joys of the season, and plan for the grand one next year. May the power of the Mother Goddess be with you 🙂
MuMe Matters: Youtube video links to Events #2 and #3
MuMe Matters is an endeavour by The Museum Memories Project. We visualise it as an interactive, invigorating, educational, exploratory and knowledge sharing catalytic space to initiate dialogues and spur conversations amongst professionals. Here, themes of accessibility and inclusion which have hitherto escaped discussions in museums would be highlighted.
Museum Memory #75 by Sharon Misquitta
I have personally visited the site of the Lothal and the adjoining Archaeological Site Museum of Lothal on 15th February 2020. I visited this museum as a part of a study tour organized by the Department of Ancient Indian Culture, St. Xavier’s College. Dr. Anita Rane-Kothare and Prof. Jason guided us through the museum giving... Continue Reading →
Museum Memory by Stephen Barker
Stephen Barker, Heritage Advisor, Author, Guided Tour leader In December 2018, I decided to fly to Florence (Firenze), on a whim (remember those days of spontaneity?). A relationship had ended at the beginning of the year and with England’s winter now well established, I was in need of a change of scene and lucky enough... Continue Reading →
Riten Mozumdar: Free India’s first textile designer
Rabindranath Tagore wrote in ‘The Meaning of Art’ in 1921, “What is art? It is the response of man’s creative soul to the call of the real. But the individual mind according to its temperament and training has its own recognition of reality in some of its special aspects…” It rings true when one looks... Continue Reading →
1st Birthday of ‘The Museum Memories Project’
https://videopress.com/v/1PmZwtxU?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&posterUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fvarnikadesigns.files.wordpress.com%2F2020%2F06%2F2-1.png&preloadContent=metadata Yeaaahhh, we are one 🙂 ‘The Museum Memories Project’ - an oral history documentation digital platform - was launched on April 15, 2020. For the first time, museum visitors were invited to delve deep and freely express their memories. They could share their favourite artefacts, spaces and moments in museums that they loved. This... Continue Reading →
Palash: the Flame of the Forest flower
'Palash' has many names in many languages. It's a very popular, loved and revered flower which sets forests on fire during late February and March in India. It is also known as the 'flame of the forest' or 'parrot tree' in English, 'tesu' 'dhak' and 'parasu' in some Indian languages. It mainly blossoms in the... Continue Reading →
