Guardians of Memory: how archiving matters Panel Discussion with Jane Borges and Chirodeep Chaudhuri Theme: In this discussion we understand the importance of preserving the stories and narratives of our immediate surrounding - through archival and documentation tools like oral history recording, photography, writing, and sharing that knowledge. We argue if we need archives and... Continue Reading →
JUGNU: the book club by VarnikaDesigns – let’s find the glow in our lives
VarnikaDesigns has started ‘Jugnu’ - A monthly book club to read, reflect, and share knowledge. Books, books and more books for finding the Jugnu - the glow - in you 🙂
Museum Memory #108 – Jane Borges
Museum Memory #108 by Jane Borges Novelist, Journalist and Oral Historian Appreciating, absorbing and engaging with art requires time, a whole lot of it. In Mumbai, where I reside, time, for some reason, has always been elusive. Most part of the day is carved out for work, and then the odd, small and big errands,... Continue Reading →
Insights from LLDC’s Vibrant Winter Festival 2025
VarnikaDesigns collaborated with LLDC to present to the world their amazing Festival. The blog has videos of interviews with individual artisans. We conceptualised, planned and moderated an interactive discussion between upholders of generations old craft communities from Orissa and Kutch and their custodians - long video link in blog.
Award of Honorary D. Litt. degree to Dr Asok Kumar Das
The Courtauld Institute of Art, an independent college of the University of London has announced the conferment of an Honorary Doctorate degree (Doctor Honoris Causa) to the distinguished art historian Dr Asok K. Das.
International Museum Expo, New Delhi, 18 – 20 May, 2023
I was honoured to be invited by the Ministry of Culture as a speaker on International Museum Day to talk about the oral history documentation project called ‘The Museum Memories Project’ – it was found at the beginning of the Covid global lockdown that to bring the world closer through sharing of personal memories from museums visited by anyone in any corner of the globe. It is a free digital archive and resource platform of histories, heritage, cultures of all people, making them accessible and inclusive to everyone 🙂
The story of the dazzling ‘Gota’ embroidery: its past, present and future
Amidst all the glitter, glamour and glitz of yesteryear the shimmer and shine of Gota stands out! It has captured in its weave the fantasy of the times. Travelling from the markets of the Western Indian cities of Surat, Ajmer where they were manufactured, Gota came to be the ubiquitous accessory of every royal garment. Let us know of the history of the exquisite Gota embroidery based on original fieldwork.
