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Of drawings, ideas and building sites—Geoffrey Bawa’s first major exhibition is a lot more than just the celebration of Indo-Lanka diplomatic relations
MAR 25, 2023 | By Kashish Kaushal
That’s the thing about archives—dipping into them is always an interesting proposition! The concept of preserving history, collating full archives, making them as usable and accessible, allows the public an ability to engage with history. National Gallery of Modern Art, the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, the High Commission of Sri Lanka, New Delhi with the Geoffrey Bawa Trust Colombo, presents Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be There—the first major exhibition which draws from the archives to look at the Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa’s practice.
Titled Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be There, this exhibit is the first retrospective of Bawa’s works internationally since 2004. Exploring relationships between ideas, drawings, buildings and places, this exhibit explores the different ways in which images were used in Bawa’s practices and showcases over 120 documents from the Bawa archives, including a section on unbuilt work and his own photographs from his travels.
Curated by Chief Curator of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust and the show Ms. Shayari de Silva, the exhibition divided in four sections takes you through Bawa’s distinct practice as an architect that began with the purchase of an abandoned rubber and cinnamon estate that he transformed into the garden that is now called Lunaganga, in 1948. From this very project, his practice is marked by architecture that seeks to understand the notion of place. The architect quotes, “The site gives the most powerful push to a design along with the brief. Without seeing the site I cannot work. It is essential to be there. After two hours on the site, I have a mental picture of what will be there and how the site will change and the picture does not change.”
As you traverse the exhibition, one thing that is sure to blow your minds are the drawings by Geoffrey Bawa. Look closely at the precision and you’ll be convinced they are not just drafts of buildings but a work of art, masterpieces all of them! Bawa, who is heralded as the father of Sri Lankan architecture, is also credited with crafting a new vernacular style of architecture that was suited to the hot, humid climate of most Asian countries. The exhibition also marks the 75th Anniversary of Indo-Lanka Diplomatic Relations, commemorating the Cultural Exchange Programme between India and Sri Lanka.
Although Bawa’s work has been exhibited at multiple venues in Sri Lanka, The United Kingdom, North America, Australia, India, Brazil, Singapore, and Germany, this is the first exhibition to focus on the archive, and the first retrospective exhibition of his work to be shown internationally since 2004.
The Geoffrey Bawa Trust received generous financial support from the Initiating partner Kohler India, together with Airline Partner / National Carrier of Sri Lanka, SriLankan Airlines and Logistics Partner, CF Global for the India-edition of Geoffrey Bawa: It Is Essential to be There.
From the inception of his own practice to advocating the importance of places and sites, the Bawa archives hold a small collection of letters, photographs, and personal artefacts that shed light on how the legendary architect worked and lived. Visit the exhibition to witness poetry in motion as it teaches you several lessons in cultural sensitivity!
Venue: National Gallery of Modern Art, India Gate, New Delhi 110003, India
Visiting Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. – 6.30 p.m. Closed on Monday.
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