Designs on a Delta

Areas of North & South 24 Parganas, bordering the Sundarban forests in West Bengal has been and continues to be an inhospitable and almost inhabitable terrain. This area is lashed by severe cyclones and regular tidal inundations. 

The cyclone “Aila” left in its wake, a devastation hard to imagine. Given this scenario, Khoj Kolkata’s workshop “Designs on a Delta” attempted to study and suggest design interventions that could benefit the local people.

The participants at this workshop included: Abhijit Gupta (project initiator & coordinator), Chhatrapati Dutta, Tamal Mitra, Saikat Surai – (all visual artists and members of Khoj Kolkata), Laurent Fournier (an architect from France now based in Kolkata), Prof. Oliver Vogt (designer from Germany), Sayak Mukherjee and Kazima Khan.

The participants traveled in the area, interacted with local people and brain-stormed in an intense 15 day workshop ending in Kolkata. The results were presented at a seminar on “Aesthetic Designing of Energy-Efficient Technology” at Dr. Triguna Sen Hall, Jadavpur University on Wednesday, 16 September 2009.

This workshop had been jointly organised by Khoj Kolkata and Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata.

Khoj Kolkata Arists’ Initiative is an associate of Khoj International Artists' Association - an autonomous artist led, non-profit, registered society based in Delhi with working groups of artists in different parts of India.  

To know more about Khoj Kolkata Arists’ Initiative (please visit www.khojkolkata.org).