Guest of Honour India Pavilion - Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2019
I contributed to the project as a part of the Design team from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad in consultation with the National Book Trust, India. The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) 2019 was held from April 22nd till April 30, 2019. I focussed on content research and visualisation of the following three areas:
A chronology of reading spaces in the India from the 4th century BC to present day
The evolution of Indic scripts from the prehistoric times to the scripts of languages in use
An installation on Gandhi — his message to the world — and writers influenced by Gandhi
The design theme for the GoI India Pavilion
The Pavilion design is an acknowledgement and celebration of the evolution of the civilization in the subcontinent and its culture around knowledge articulation and sharing from prehistoric times to the contemporary era. This openness to diversity is manifested in the ‘book’ as a medium for reading, sharing and developing discourses. The nodal agency, National Book Trust supports these principles of inclusivity and diversity by providing a platform at the national level to books in the multiplicity and richness of languages and their associated scripts, thereby promoting Publishing For All.
A Chronology of Reading Spaces
We drew upon a chronology of reading spaces, starting from ancient university libraries such as Nalanda, Vikramshila and travel in time to the current day, where the reading space is transitory in nature, like that of a cafe or a park or a moving train. Through the representative timeline, we attempted to portray the various transformations and cultural influences seen in the architecture, that have enriched our idea of reading. Considering the rich tradition of storytelling in India these spaces have been the site of cultural and community-based discourses. In post-independent modern India, an inclusive learning landscape has been consciously created.
An installation on Gandhi’s message to the world
Commemorating 150 Years of M K Gandhi’s birth, the pavilion presents Gandhi's role in social upliftment and the freedom struggle through the acts of writing, publishing and disseminating. The first weekly issue of Navajivan bearing the name of Gandhiji as its editor was published on September 7, 1919, while the first issue of Young India under the editorship of Gandhiji was published on October 8, 1919. The story of Navajivan Institution in Ahmedabad is the brightest chapter in the epic of India's non-violent struggle for freedom.
Banyan Tree: An installation on the evolution of Indic Scripts
The Banyan tree is the national tree of India and symbolises shade, inner wisdom, peace, and expansion. "There is a banyan tree that has its roots upward and its branches down, and the Vedic hymns are its leaves. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas."- Krishna in Bhagavat Gita. Here the material world is described as a tree whose roots are upwards and branches are below. Similarly, this material world is a reflection of the spiritual world. The material world is but a shadow of reality. The banners on the Banyan tree show the evolution of Indic scripts from ancient times to the current digital age, contributing a diversity of forms to the visual landscape of Indian texts.
