RFC collaborates with Nakashima Woodworkers
Golconde: The Introduction of Modernism in India, Exhibition
On June 12th, the Raymond Farm Center was fortunate to contribute to the beautiful exhibit displayed at the Nakashima Arts Building, Golconde: The Introduction of Modernism in India. The exhibition is in conjunction with the reprinting of the book of the same title, written by Pankaj Vir Gupta and Christine Mueller.
Golconde, located in Pondicherry, is the first work of Modern Architecture in India. A forerunner of what is called today "green architectural design," the building was the result of collaboration between Antonin Raymond, George Nakashima, and Francois Sammer. Made of steel-reinforced concrete, Golconde is the first of its kind in India. Without glazed windows, it is kept remarkably cool in southern India's densely humid climate by utilizing hundreds of hand-operated concrete louvers, shading the interiors and oriented in the direction of prevailing breezes from the sea, and cooling gardens and water features. This passively cooled building requires no mechanical air-conditioning systems.
The spiritual leaders, Sri Aurobindo and Mirra Alfassa— known to her disciples as "The Mother"-- were at the crux of the building's creation. Together, they set the foundation for the Ashram based on Sri Aurobindo's philosophy of deep, meditative reflection and practice that still prevails today. Golconde is a dormitory for practitioners at the Ashram. Commissioned in 1935, its construction and building supplies were interrupted by World War II-- Golconde wouldn't be completed until 1948. Built by the Raymond offices' team of architects and engineers, combined with engineers and administrators who were already practitioners at the Ashram, and literally hand-built by the devotees of Sri Aurobindo, it is not only a remarkable structure but a remarkable story of its collaborative making. Exquisitely detailed and executed, the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother is instilled into the very structure, physically and spiritually.
To tell the deeply intertwined stories of the creation of Golconde-- of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, the Raymonds and George Nakashima, Philipe Saint-Hilaire, François Sammer, Udar Pinto, and many others-- the RFC team designed a timeline illustrating their narratives and how they came together in divine collaboration. Our former Director of Cultural Programming, Vinni Cheng (now an ongoing consultant to RFC), built an intricately detailed scale model for the Nakashima exhibition, adding a physical three-dimensional representation of Golconde to add to the many photographs and drawings on display.
Nakashima Arts Building
The Nakashima Arts Building is a remarkable setting of peace for this exhibition-- the Lilly ponds, umbrellas of flora, precisely formed concrete walls, and modernist overhangs are just a few of the elements which echo Golconde as an experience, really is. Designed and curated by Mira Nakashima and Hugo Nakashima-Brown, the Golconde exhibition's photographic scrims are hung throughout the Nakashima Arts Building in the way Golconde as one moves through the building. These original photographs were taken by Ashok Diwali, Robi Ganguli, Pankaj Gupta, and Christine Mueller and are combined with the photos and drawings from the Archives of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. The mezzanine of the Arts Building even features photographs of the unique ventilating roof design and clotheslines of Golconde laundry in the spirit of recreating the experience.
In immaculate shape and perfectly maintained today, Golconde is not open to the general public to help preserve the solitude of the Sri Aurobindo devotees. This exhibit is a metaphysical replication of Golconde, invoking its spirit of reflection.
Golconde is a milestone in India's architectural history. A short film on it even introduced the recent and extraordinary— The Project of Independence, Architectures of Decolonization of South Asia, shown at MoMA. But Golconde also proves the dedication, love, and communion it takes to realize a building that transports one beyond the physical realm and into the spiritual. A genuinely incredible exhibit, Golconde: The Introduction of Modernism in India, is not to be missed.
-- Dhruvi Rajpopat
For ticketing to the exhibition, please go to https://nakashimafoundation.org/project/golconde-exhibit-opening/
We want to acknowledge those in creating the current Golconde, introducing Modernism to India Exhibition at the Nakashima Arts Building:
Original Exhibition Materials:
Pankaj Vir Gupta
Christine Mueller
Cyrus Samui
Exhibition Curators:
Mira Nakashima
Hugo Nakashima-Brown
Zoriana Siokalo
Timeline - Raymond Farm Center
Dhruvi Rajpopat
Kellie Silva
Charlotte Raymond
John DeFazio AIA
Model- Raymond Farm Center
Vinni Cheng