August 25: Avani Institute of Design conducted its seventh edition of collective exhibition event under the theme of Dhaara on Aug 13th and 14th, 2022, at Thamarassery Campus. Dhaara aims to create a platform for the convergence of minds to develop an integrated approach to the pedagogical landscape of the Avani Institute of Design. It attempts to string together multiple narratives through pandemic semesters highlighting critical thinking rooted in contextual awareness. Dhaara is also a coming together of Academicians, Architects, and Artists, to expand on Avani’s pursuit of a constructive, collaborative, and integrative approach to design education. Thus, making it truly a collective.

The 2-day event included Expert subject lectures, Panel discussions, Academic Exhibitions, discussions on Pedagogy, Spicmacay cultural events, Movie Screenings, etc. The event consisted of 6 expert speakers and 50 delegates from within and outside Kerala and with over a total number of 200 participants.

The collective exhibition being the prime focus, the collaborative exhibition sets the platform for studios, artists, academicians, and students to come forward to portray their works. Dhaara is a peek into this world of distorted imaginations, subverted realities, and expanded territories of an institution not confined to the geography of Ambayathode. It is the collective representation of our entangled stories narrated through documented evidence of student and faculty initiatives undertaken during Monsoon 2020 up until Monsoon 2021. The collaborative works also included the works from friends of Avani, Academic fields: WCFA, Mysuru and SEA, Mumbai, and also prominent practising architects of the district.

On the first day, Ar Tony Joseph, Principal, Avani Institute of Design, initiated the session on the topic Life as a Stapati, where one’s journey into architectural practice was discussed at length.  The event was also fortunate to have the presence of the Kochi Muziris Curator, Artist Bose Krishnamachari, delivering a lecture on the topic Art for community and community for Art: How Biennales changed the world, on such an occasion, which addressed the importance of embracing the value of collaboration.

The second day’s lectures and talks started off on the topic Building Imaginations and Imagining buildings: Archi textures for future by Ar P Manasi, Ar Guruprasad Rane (Bhoomija Creations), and Ar Anoop Rajendran (Garage). It opened up the floor for a whole set of possibilities for the architecture of the past and future. With the presence of Prof Neelakanth Chhaya and a very dynamic presentation on the topic Architecture of Tomorrow, he moved the crowd onto the platform of rhetorical questioning.

For a selected number of students, who have a keen interest or an eye for photography, a workshop was conducted on the topic Photography and Beyond by Ar Prashanth Mohan (Running Studio). The students had a great opportunity to learn about the upcoming techniques and various aspects of how to approach vehicle documenting a project.

Under the leadership of the Avani film club (the roll), the college screened two movies, the first one being ‘Another Round’ (2020) by Thomas Vinterbeg and the second being Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam (2020) by Don Palathara, both resonating with the theme of the exhibition, that is the eternal flow of human connections.

Each day was concluded with a handpicked event by the renowned artists from the National group SPICMACAY. On day one, the stage was mesmerized by an absolutely stunning performance of Carnatic Music by Artist A E Vamanan Namboothiri and their Team. On the second day, a stunning performance was put forward by Dr. Kalamandalam Krishendu and their team on the Kerala traditional artform of Koodiyattam.

Dhaara sets out to re-establish the connection between humans and their context, leaving room for future conversations and reflections. Dhaara, attended by young professionals, distinguished guests, and various others, succeeded in upholding the collaborative spirit of the Avani family.

For more information and registration: http://avani.edu.in

If you have any objection to this press release content, kindly contact pr.error.rectification[at]gmail.com to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 24 hours.