Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

A tall orderThe wrappedup installation of a giraffe is unloaded off a tempo at Shivaji Park in DadarA royal visitTasneem Zakaria Mehta with the prince Shri Richard Shivaji Rao Holkar Pic courtesyDr Bhau Daji Lad MuseumIt was a prestigious moment when the Holkar royal family dropped in at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum last Saturday Prince Shri Richard Shivaji Rao Holkar was visiting to catch a glimpse of the ongoing exhibition Eckart Muthesius and Manik Bagh Pioneering Modernism in India Centred around the iconic Manik Bagh conceptualised for the prince Yeshwant Rao Holkar II the princersquos father it was a moment of nostalgia ldquoIn fact they had not seen the home film made by the late Maharaja and his wife Maharani Sanyogita They were delighted by the exhibition The Manik Bagh remains an iconic piece of Indian modernismrdquo Tasneem Zakaria Mehta director told this diaristA letter from a MumbaikarAn aerial shot of BMC Headquarters from CSMT PicsRane AshishA letter from a political partyrsquos chief always sends a newsroom into a tizzy Last week witnessed something similar when Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray sent in a personalised note Thankfully it was a letter of thanks addressing his inability to attend midday photo editor Rane Ashishrsquos recently concluded exhibition Mumbai from Above at the Mumbai Press Club The letter read lsquoDear Ashish I had received the invitation you sent for the inauguration of your photography exhibitionThe letter from Raj ThackerayI apologise for not being able to attend it in person It is understood that you have photographed some parts of Mumbai very well from the air Your vast experience of photography over the past 25 years has made you a renowned photographer Today you are also working as a photo editor in a renowned daily like midday Great concentration agility and a penchant for research are the hallmarks of a good photojournalist In the language of journalism a photograph is worth a thousand words You have received many awards for the photographs captured by your camera so far I am very much concerned about your future work so that you continue to do such good social programmes through photojournalism Also I pray to the feet of Mother Jagdamba that you may have a prosperous life Yours humbly Raj Thackerayrsquo High praise wersquod sayShades of an umbrellaA moment from the previous session Pic courtesyArt PortalNow might be the perfect time to give your boring umbrellas a colourful makeover Recently Art Portal cofounders Dipti Wagal and Krupali Koli conducted an umbrella painting workshop that catered to all age groups Koli said ldquoWe conducted a workshop in 2019 and it was a huge success Based on the response we conducted another workshop at Dadar In this session instead of using acrylic colours we used acrylic markers that are less messy and more creative as everybody can use them Last time when we conducted the workshop it was a hit among children They splashed colours and used handprints on the umbrellas For this edition the theme for the workshop was mandala art Even though the theme sounded difficult it was very simple and everyone was able to do itrdquo If you are keen to know more about their workshops dial 9920238938When food and art make a canvasGuests enjoying traditional Naga dishes at the event Pics courtesyMuSoOver the weekend the JSW Foundation and ART INDIA magazine hosted an evocative evening in Lower Parel to launch their latest issue featuring artist Thamshangpha lsquoMercirsquo Maku Supported by Sangita Jindal the event focused on Dont Die Starving mdash Mercirsquos powerful work rooted in memory hunger and homeHailing from Chandel in Manipur Merci blends personal memory and political reality in his textured abstract canvases which reflect the emotional toll on the ongoing conflict Listening to his motherrsquos voice notes as he paints he weaves longing and resilience into his work Merci shared three traditional Naga dishes mdash Sticky rice cake Vegetable porridge and Chicken porridge mdash alongside a short film on sourcing ingredients and cooking creating a rich sensory link between food identity and artMerci calls himself a witness mdash a gatherer of stories through food ldquoFood connects us to our roots like nothing elserdquo he says Moving to the city the first thing he missed was taste mdash a feeling your heart knows before your taste buds do Donrsquot Die Starving is a protest against erasure and forgetting mdash not just of food but of care connection and culture Back home ingredients and stories are cherished This performance is his attempt to preserve both ldquoTo me this is home In every bite I hope someone remembers theirs Donrsquot die starving Feed yourself in every way that mattersrdquoThe evening ended with an intimate fireside chat where Merci spoke about exploring his journey as an artist and a keeper of forgotten histories