International Visitors Programme
On the occasion of the 11th annual conference of the Jaap Bakema Study Centre, from 19 to 22 November, Shruti Hussain visited the Netherlands to present her research on the theme Staying with Modernity? (Dis)Entangling Coloniality and Architecture.
At the conference, organised by the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam and the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at Delft University of Technology, Hussain presented a paper entitled 'Reframing the Indian-Modern Vision: Post the Colossal Loss of the Hall of Nations and Other Modern Icons that Wait Their End'. Her presentation described the emergence of the Indian Modern architectural style, highlighting specific examples and tracing how colonial vestiges have been incorporated into traditional Indian architecture in the post-independence era. Her work explores the various contemporary anxieties and tensions that continue to shape modern architecture in India under the influence of changing political regimes. Hussain challenges the professional audience to turn to archives and pedagogy to re-read and re-write the legacy of modern architecture.
Shruti Hussain is one of the selected authors of Design Drafts #3, a collaboration between the Nieuwe Instituut and Journal Safar (Beirut). During her visit to the Netherlands, she met Dutch-based contributors through the International Visitors Programme in order to exchange thoughts and ideas.