Theme of this exhibition refers to travels and settlements happening since ages between two cities Hyderabad and Ahmedabad because of the trade, business and employment. Such travels bound to induce interactions one over the other. Many Indian cities have such similar interactions, comparisons and Hyderabad and Ahmadabad are such two cities have disposition parallels.
Hyderabad and Ahmadabad have the names titled from their Islam rulers of medieval times. Both the cities have Indo-Saracenic architecture built in then times and popular similarities can be seen as Hyderabad-Charminar and Jhulta Minara of Ahmedabad. Living styles and give and take relations between Hindu Muslim communities are similar in both the cities. Both the cities celebrate Navaratri with jubilant moods, Hyderabad on Batukamma and Ahmedabad on Garba.
Tea, a hot beverage is popular to both the cities referring in specific to, ‘Ahmedabad ni Chai’ and Hyderabadi ‘Irani chai’…
Trading communities of Gujarat migrated to Hyderabad centuries back and formed the texture of Hyderabad city. Both the cities have mystic traditions and the elite urban, pre modern and modern exist in a peculiar style. Irrespective of traffic congestions of old city, ‘Purana Sheher’ has its own cultural identities comparable to each other, reminiscent of the Islam rulers, over whelming bazaars, Chowks, Kamans-arches, localized Urdu language spoken, old and new sides of the cities are connected with public transport vehicles, Chudi[bangle] bazaars and Mehendi cones, strong perfumes of old cities and imported perfumes from elite shopping complexes of new city, would be brides’ wedding ceremonies will not be complete unless and until they visit such old city bazaars. Markets and life of old cities, heritage buildings and old routes of the cities depict common visuals of both the cities. Such are few specific characters common to both the cities but not exhaustive. This is the present day life of these two cities, which was different previous decade and might move on to new routine next decade.
Some of the artists must have travelled and visited both the places and few might not have, but both experience certain nuances of day to day life of their own city. When artists express tones and tinges of their city, comparables in the display is viewer’s pleasure. This exhibition would be a visual display of the present day scenario and a comparable between both the cities. Why not to explore artist’s experiences of both the cities expressed? This Curatorial theme is an idea to explore such anecdotes.
I curated this exhibition at Kanoria Art Centre, Ahmedabad from 22nd to 24th November 2016.
Dr.M.Balamani
