Projects

‘Samatva’ (Sanskrit: समत्व) stands for ‘equity’ which is what the exhibition ‘Samatva - Shaping the Built’ talks about in the fields of design and architecture, through the lens of gender. While women across the world have been an integral part of shaping our built environment in diverse ways, their contribution has often been overlooked and not always recognised. According to data compiled by ArchitectureLive!, while 60% of students of architecture in India are women, the representation of women in the professional practice is a mere 20% today. This gap becomes all the more glaring if we consider that the Council of Architecture has not had a single woman or transgender president since its inception in 1972.

How may we support more women to occupy positions of power, leadership and visibility is the kind of critical public discourse the exhibition aims to create. This is why the exhibition at India’s first Art Architecture and Design Biennale organized by the Ministry of Culture honors the work of 80 women architects from India, across ages and geographies. It also celebrates the 100th anniversary of Eulie Roy Chowdhary, the “unsung hero of Chandigarh” who has shaped the architecture of the city for which Le Corbusier has been singularly lauded over time.

The exhibition invites you into a collective ‘Studio’ hall showcasing not just the work of showcased architects but also their process. Put together through discussions with them, it also displays their personal journeys, ideologies and leadership styles. Drawings and sketches on drafting tables, process models and prototypes offer the behind-the-scenes glimpse into studios of the showcased architects, and the creatively stimulating spaces they are.

Alongside this are two silent galleries offering stunning views of the Red Fort while featuring oral histories of 8 women architects, put together by Curating for Culture as part of their archival project ‘Women of Vaastukala’. A living room created within the ‘Studio’ hall invited visitors for evening conversations with some of the showcasing architects on each of the 7 days of the inaugural week between 9-15th December 2023 on how architectural practice has evolved post-Independence and the role of gender in it. Right outside the exhibition building at Red Fort, visitors participated in activities and discussions on the contribution of construction workers organized by Sehreeti Developmental Practices during the week.