A city’s journey through time
Representation pic
A city's journey through time
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A highlight at this year’s Mumbai Gallery Weekend is a show titled “Once Upon a Time in Bombay”, which opens a lens into the transformation of Mumbai through the 19th and 20th centuries.
As the gateway to India by sea, “Bombay” was a crucible of cultures and ambitions—its docks drawing in everyone—from traders to industrious workers—who shaped the economic hub that inspired vivid artistic depictions of its people, architecture, and landscapes. Through sections titled Sacred & Stories, By the Sea, and Cityscapes in Time, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey through Bombay’s vibrantly layered past.
Paintings, lithographs, and archival pieces capture the coastal city’s many faces—from its colonial Gothic edifices to the vibrant bustle of its bazaars, and the serene allure of its hinterlands. As a prelude to an upcoming, more expansive exhibition on the city, the show invites viewers to reflect on a metropolis that, while vastly transformed over time, has constantly been a symbol of opportunity and cosmopolitanism through the ages.
Among the showcase is a special inclusion of a tinted lithograph titled “Map of the Island of Bombay”, made in 1923 to depict the transformation of the city over the course of the 19th century, especially through the process of land reclamation. The British and other stakeholders commissioned several reclamation projects to expand the area of the island city, and this map details these land acquisitions and development activities in Bombay, particularly under the administration of the Municipal Corporation and the Municipal Trust.
WHAT: Once Upon a Time in Bombay
WHERE: DAG, The Taj Mahal Palace, Apollo Bandar, Colaba
WHEN: January 10–12; 10 am to 8 pm
A symphony of light and form
London-based visual artist Rana Begum is known for the way she dynamically deploys light, colour and form to blend sculpture, architecture and painting. Playing around innovatively and precisely with tactile omnipresent materials, her practice is rooted in the observation of everyday environments, translating fleeting moments of light and shadow into enduring works of art. Her pieces often evoke a meditative quality, inviting viewers to engage in slow contemplation and discover the subtle dynamism of her creations.
In her first showcase in the city after several years, Begum brings a remarkable solo exhibition with a series of wall-based sculptures and watercolours that epitomise her signature exploration of perception and materiality. Central to the exhibition is No. 974, a series conceived during a residency programme at Istanbul Modern in Turkey. Inspired by the ornate lamp bases of the country’s historic buildings, Begum collaborated with metal-spinning craftspeople to create moulds that, once mounted, evolve into shape-shifting compositions. As natural light changes through the day, these works come alive.
Her “Relief Panel” series further deepens this sensory engagement, with ridged aluminium tiles coated in iridescent colours that play with perspective, texture, and density. Complementing these larger works are intimate watercolours, delicately rendered on gridded paper. These pieces echo the tonal interplay of her sculptures, once again capturing the ephemeral qualities of light and bringing the viewer into a space of quiet reflection. Often completed during her travels, these watercolours serve as both a record of transient moments and a call to engage in the art of seeing.
WHAT: Rana Begum
WHERE: Jhaveri Contemporary, 3rd floor, Devidas Mansion, Colaba
WHEN: January 10 –12; 10 am to 8 pm
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