Hastakala Parv 2020
A Craft Exhibition & Demonstration, Rajkot

Out of the ordinary, this initiative created a platform for craft awareness in the city. This was designed and curated to create unique experience of viewing; observing; understanding and purchasing (…and thus patronising) handicraft by creating spaces for live demonstrations, workshops and stalls. A stage to felicitate the artisans from Hon’ble CM was also part of the design.

A fashion show –where artisans themselves showcased their products in costumes and ramp walked with models, hands-on and stalls for sale of handicrafts.

At BPS Architects, this involved team coordination between various governmental and non-governmental agencies, team work (BPSA strength swelled to 29 members during this time), meetings from Gandhinagar to Kutchh and Rajkot.

It was an intense experience of perfection and rigour. Around 20 students from the architecture college participated in design process and getting it executed with construction team.

Team carried out the process of conceptualising the exhibition and taking it to physical manifestation.

Almost all the crafts of Gujarat, nearly thirty, were covered. These were categorised based on their core products & processes. Each had a specific requirement for demonstrations and hands-on.

In projects like this, one takes home learning of how people engage themselves to place making, how do they interpret these places. Do they actually relate to what they had in mind to begin with? They add a flavour of dynamism of space and decision making. Discussions after the event helped in deciding “to dos” for next cycle. The kind of improvements one could have made and what one should keep in mind!