V&A exposes creative culture in India Now

The London-wide celebration of Indian culture moves to the Victoria & Albert Museum this week in the shape of an event exploring contemporary Indian art, fashion, film and design.

As part of the museum’s Friday Late series, the event includes a fusion of music and film by The Bombay Project, a contemporary art installation created live by Mumbai-based graphic design consultancy Design Temple and a range of specialist talks and tours by artists, designers and curators.

Divia Patel, curator of the V&A’s Asian Department, says, ‘The V&A’s gallery of Indian art finishes in 1900, so the India Now exhibition offers an interesting juxtaposition.

‘The central installation by Design Temple will showcase five aspects of modern India: fashion, food, film, technology and design, to give people the opportunity to experience aspects of contemporary Indian culture that they aren’t usually exposed to. They will see that Indian culture isn’t just about Bollywood and textiles, but is about cutting-edge art-house film, product design and high fashion,’ she adds.

The Mayor of London’s India Now season concludes on Sunday 2 September with the Regent Street Festival, which will transform the West End shopping district into an Indian streetscape that will include music, street sculpture, food and crafts.

India Now at the V&A takes place on Friday 31 August between 6.30 and 10pm. Visit www.vam.ac.uk/fridaylate for more information.