LONDON EXHIBITIONS 2024: A VOYAGE THROUGH CLASSICAL NARRATIVES

London Exhibitions 2024: A Voyage through Classical Narratives — Part I

If you find yourself in London this year, assurance is that you’d not spend a weekend inside your homes because the museums here are hosting exhibitions that will resonate with both art enthusiasts and the neophytes. These art exhibitions, in the words of Pablo Picasso,“wash the dust of daily life off our souls”; offering a fresh perspective on the everyday ordinary. The visitors can explore various exhibitions that glimpse into the past while resonating deeply with contemporary times and its issues.

The Victoria and Albert Museum is highlighting the importance of sustainable buildings in an era conflicted by climate change concerns. Tate Modern is honouring Pride Month with the works of Zanele Muholi, shedding light on the historical roots and the long standing challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community. While Tate Britain is celebrating the sartorial splendour of John Singer Sargent’s paintings, cajoling a dialogue between art and fashion.

In the first part we’ll take a look at Victoria and Albert Museum’s exhibit “Tropical Modernism: Architecture & Independence”.

Tropical Modernism: Architecture & Independence
March 2, 2024 – September 22, 2024

Victoria and Albert Museum, London is hosting an exhibition on post-colonial infrastructure in South Asia and West Africa. These buildings, based on Tropical Modernism maxim, highlight the infrastructural dynamics of colonised countries. In a world becoming more conscious about sustainable infrastructure, this exhibition is timely and relevant to the times we stay in.

Beginning in the late 1940s, Tropical Modernism was spearheaded by British architects Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry during anti-colonial movements, marking Britain’s unique contribution to International Modernism in South Asia and West Africa. Drew and Fry initially focused on post-war reconstruction in Britain before shifting their attention to West Africa. As central figures in Tropical Modernism, they adapted Modernist principles to suit the warm, humid climates of West Africa and India; incorporating innovations such as passive cooling, shading, and effective ventilation to harmonise buildings with their surroundings. Even today, their approach, grounded in advanced environmental science, offers enduring insights for sustainable architecture.

According to Curator Christopher Turner, the exhibition offers a comprehensive exploration of Tropical Modernism’s intricate history, emphasising its origins in British imperialism and the struggles of decolonisation. It examines how political dynamics influenced architectural choices, with a particular focus on perspectives from South Asia and West Africa. This architectural approach, blending modern design with local traditions, reflects a Nehruvian vision of a ‘living school’ that models future national growth.

The various sections of the exhibition includes :

A Revolution in Architecture, showcasing Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry’s adaptation of modernism to the humid conditions of the Gold Coast (now Ghana). It aims at providing comfort amidst colonial tensions.

Hidden Figures profiles overlooked African architects like Theodore Shealtiel Clerk and Peter Turkson, exploring their contributions and the influence of African art on modernist aesthetics.

Ghana, Land of Freedom examines Kwame Nkrumah’s endorsement of Tropical Modernism as a symbol of progress, inviting architects like Victor Adegbite to shape a modern Ghana. Adegbite’s design of Black Star Square in Accra became a symbol of independence, transforming former colonial spaces.

The Legacy of Tropical Modernism features an immersive film showcasing key Ghanaian buildings, linking architecture with the era’s political landscape through interviews with architects and historical figures.

The exhibition delves into various aspects of the Tropical Modernist movement through models, drawings, photographs, films, etc., and its impact on decolonisation. A section is devoted to influential architects like Aditya Prakash; who contributed to Chandigarh’s design under Le Corbusier and Victor Adegbite from Ghana, invited by Kwame Nkrumah.

In tropical regions, modernist architecture flourished with innovations like overhanging roofs and perforated screens for natural ventilation. Adegbite’s design of Black Star Square transformed former colonial spaces into symbols of independence. The exhibition covers the infrastructure campaign in Chandigarh, the first Modernist city in the world, quite extensively. It brings to light the consternations Prakash had with Corbusier’s idea of using concrete and disregarding indigenous architectural traditions; and his acknowledgment of Le Corbusier’s influence despite its complexities and contradictions. The 1957 creation of Rock Garden using waste materials is also displayed. It shows how Nek Chand’s creation provided a counterpoint to the city’s monumental modernist structures.

A standout exhibit is the “Jeanneret chair” or the Chandigarh chair, as it is commonly known. Designed by Eulie Chowdhury, the only Indian woman on Le Corbusier’s team, it has become a 20th century design classic and can be found even today in many official buildings.

The exhibition explores how architecture was used by leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Kwame Nkrumah in both India and Africa, to redefine national identity post-independence. It also juxtaposes Edwin Lutyens’s New Delhi with Le Corbusier’s modernist ideas to highlight the underlying tensions between tradition and modernity.

Tropical Modernism — which witnessed a natural demise in the 1970s due to the rise of air conditioning — remains relevant today amidst a glaring climate crisis due to its emphasis on passive cooling. Originating in West Africa’s challenging climates and adopted by newly independent nations as symbols of progress; this exhibition hopes to inspire visitors to explore Tropical Modernism’s potential as a blueprint for sustainable design in our climate-conscious future.