IIID HRC - A Talk by Rajeev Sethi

Headline: India Ink - Recalibrating our Cultural Inheritance Rajeev Sethi style

The Hyderabad Chapter of the Institute of Indian Interior Designers hosted a riveting Talk on The Musk Deer - Searching the Contemporary by internationally acclaimed Designer and scenographer Rajiv Sethi on the 7th November at The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace. The presentation traced the journey of Indian Art and Design through four decades.

Rajiv Sethi, designer, curator and scenographer is South Asia's leading designer, noted internationally for leaving an indelible mark on the rich cultural landscape of our Asian subcontinent. He studied graphic art in Paris and was mentored by famous names that included the famous painter and printmaker Stanley William Hayter of Atelier 17, the renowned American designers Ray and Charles Eames and french designer, Pierre Cardin. Side by side with his international exposure, his thoughts and ideology were molded by Gandhians like Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and Pupul Jayakar under whose direction, he was involved in revitalizing and re-packaging India's ancient Craft legacy and making it a productive income earner for dozens of artisans and villages.

He has designed and curated award-winning exhibitions and events in Asia, Europe, Canada and America, for the United Nations and various international institutions. His three exhibitions for the Smithsonian Institutions in 1985/86 won him the tribute of being referred to as "India's answer to Diaglieff" from the New York Times art critic John Russell. Two of these exhibitions, Aditi and The Mela, are regarded as "the most highly acclaimed exhibitions in the history of the Smithsonian". The Golden Eye exhibition at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Museum of Design, New York, brought leading Western architects together with traditional Indian craftsmen to create unique prototypes for a global marketplace. He curated the colossal Silk Route Festival at the Smithsonian that involved artists in over 22 countries and the 70,000 square-foot multicultural Basic Needs Pavilion, which the German press hailed as the apex of Hannover World Fair in 2000.

Mr. Sethi has worked with the World Bank as mentor and prime mover for implementation of poverty alleviation projects in developing countries using the development of arts, crafts and design industries. He has steered a Task Force for Cultural and Creative Industries in the Planning Commission Govt, of India, 2006-2007. He has also been on the Board of Directors of the Central Cottage Industries and the Advisor to rural Industries in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, and on the Board for the Tourism Ministry, Govt, of India. He is a member of the Central Advisory Board on Culture, Government of India.

The much decorated Padma Bhushan Rajiv Sethi has received a host of awards and commendations over the decades including the first Indira Gandhi Life Time Achievement Award for conservation by INTACH in 2010. He is the founder-chairman of the Asian Heritage Foundation. He recently curated the iconic Jaya He Art Walk at the sprawling T2 terminal in Mumbai airport, a cultural masterpiece that celebrates Indian Art on a multi-dimensional canvas, covering 80,000 sq ft on walls, spread over three km.

About the IIID-HRC
The Institute of Indian Interior Designers is the Apex body for Interior Designers in India and comprises of architects, interior designers, Trade members and educationists. The objective of the guild is to bring all the stake holders of the Design profession on a single platform with a view to streamline processes, share ideas and disseminate information about emerging trends in the industry. From its inception in the year 1996, The Hyderabad Regional Chapter (HRC) has been one of the more dynamic and vibrant regional committees of the country and has been involved in several interesting initiatives and workshops, that seek to increase the level of professional engagement within the industry. The organization with its 450+ strength is known to be among the more professionally run institutions in the country and in recognition of its contribution to the design industry, the Hyderabad Chapter was recently honored with the prestigious and most coveted HID National Best Chapter Award.

The Hyderabad Chapter meets regularly for monthly fellowship events, workshops and seminars for the design fraternity and students, factory tours and technical workshops, outbound events as well as heritage walks that seek to push the frontiers of the Design world. After the recent fund-raiser for the victims of the Vizag Cyclone, the Rajeev Sethi evening was yet another well attended HRC event that included several of Hyderabad's finest architects and designers.

About the InsiderX Expo
The InsiderX Expo is the biggest event on our horizon. This will take place on the 10th and 11th of January 2014 and we are positioning this event as a Design Exhibition with a difference. An Expo with a Heart and a Pulse where the latest and finest global trends in Architecture and Interior Design will be showcased; with over 150+ reputed products, design solutions, Talks, seminars and workshops and of course, lots of opportunity for networking. We will be unveiling the Poster for the InsiderX Expo today.