<h2>Big brothers are watching</h2>
<p>A group of black kites rest on a lamp post with CCTV cameras under the scorching sun at Versova beach</p>
<h2>Lights out</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/may/Barcelona-aa_e.jpg" alt="People queue up at a bus stop in Barcelona. Pic courtesy/Sefi George" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>People queue up at a bus stop in Barcelona. Pic courtesy/Sefi George</em></strong></p>
<p>As Spain struggled with an unprecedented power outage on Monday, Dahisar-based illustrator Sefi George (inset) found herself caught behind the lines. &ldquo;Following a workshop, I was to explore Barcelona on Monday and return to Mumbai on Tuesday. My husband and I were at an art store in the afternoon when the power outage hit. Shops couldn&rsquo;t process our bills, and the Metro service came to a standstill. We survived on bread and fruits that we had bought earlier.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/may/Sefi-George_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>Interestingly, the Indian-owned souvenir stores seemed to be running just fine. Thankfully, Barcelona is a walkable city so we walked our way around. By 2 am, power was restored. I will never take electricity and the Internet for granted,&rdquo; George told this diarist. While we can&rsquo;t make up for the illustrator&rsquo;s lost time, it should suffice to say, more power to her.</p>
<h2>Unlocking India</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/may/Godrej_e.jpg" alt="A section from the exhibition. Pic courtesy/Godrej Enterprises Archives" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>A section from the exhibition. Pic courtesy/Godrej Enterprises Archives</em></strong></p>
<p>With the intent to document India&rsquo;s transformation through issues of Industrial India magazine from Godrej Enterprises&rsquo; Archives, Stitch in time, an ongoing exhibition curated by the students of Bengaluru-based Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology with guidance from professors Sudebi Thakurata and Vishwesh Vishwanathan seeks to map changes across politics, business, design, and culture. &ldquo;The exhibition is a delightful discovery of post-Independence India which reminds us how archives are living narratives,&rdquo; Vrunda Pathare, head, Godrej Enterprises Archives told this diarist.</p>
<h2>Voicing resistance</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/may/Bao-dalit_e.jpg" alt="An illustration from the Dalit History Month series. Pic courtesy/Bao" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>An illustration from the Dalit History Month series. Pic courtesy/Bao</em></strong></p>
<p>With the final illustration of the Dalit History Month (April) series out on social media, city-based artist, and illustrator Bao has documented some of the leading figures of anti-caste revolution in her &lsquo;firebrand feminist matchbox&rsquo; artworks. &ldquo;I wished to document, celebrate, and understand rage by building an archive of the cumulative repressive experiences, cultural formatting and subsequent exploration of Dalit Bahujan Adivasi and Vimukta feminist viewpoints. The series explores women&rsquo;s anger as a cathartic and emancipatory force,&rdquo; she shared with us.</p>
<h2>An aerial ode to the city</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/may/Saath-Rasta_e.jpg" alt="An aerial view of Saat Rasta" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>An aerial view of Saat Rasta</em></strong></p>
<p>While Mumbai&rsquo;s bustling streets might be the most conspicuous subject for those who love capturing its infectious spirit, it takes someone with a keen eye to watch over its ever-evolving skylines and document its myriad changes.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/may/Bandra-Reclamation_e.jpg" alt="A wide angle shot of Bandra Reclamation" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>A wide angle shot of Bandra Reclamation</em></strong></p>
<p>With a similar thought in mind, mid-day photo editor Rane Ashish&rsquo;s exhibition, Mumbai From Above, opening today at the Mumbai Press Club, will take visitors through 30 aerial photographs, shot over a period of more than 10 years in 80 different locations including Saat Rasta, Haji Ali in the city.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/may/Rane-a_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>&ldquo;This project began in 2014, when I started capturing aerial photographs of the city. Over time, I could see how landscapes transformed and localities changed. I have tried to stitch it all together in this exhibition, which is my tribute to Mumbai,&rdquo; he shared with this diarist.</p><p><script type="text/javascript">atOptions={'key':'d0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7','format':'iframe','height':90,'width':728,'params':{}};</script></p><p>
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