Of design and beyond!

By Team IAnD

Photography: Courtesy UBM Index

Read Time: 2 mins

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28^th edition of UBM Index Trade Fair in Mumbai was an engaging four-day event replete with insightful discourses, concept spaces, dynamic networking...

Index - India's acknowledged leader in the interiors’ sector raised its annual curtain on Oct. 13, 2016 at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.

 

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Engaging the building industry, the pro B2B platform goes much beyond its role of a product showcase. Its adjunct activities viz., artistic spaces of the Art Enclave; latest trends in the building industry showcased via a ‘Kudos Gallery’; and the ‘Design Contemplation Spaces’ that presented eclectic concept spaces by leading professionals were some of the highlights of an otherwise purely business-oriented platform.

 

Creative Hardware  

Aesthetics - can't do without them either!

Convenience and technological growth

Among the various products showcased – top 3 worthy of mention are the ‘Icebed’ , which has a  ‘cool’ mattress that adjusts to your body temperature keeping it cool; perhaps even conserving electricity to some extent; tile-skins that can transform your bathroom without the hassles of civil work; graphic printing technology that helps you print directly on any surface – wood, glass, wall – no limits!

 

NID Pavillion

Interactive Art Wall 

Another noteworthy aspect was the introduction of new designers and design houses – decorative lighting designers Gl Initio from Nasik; luxury furniture from Trezure; and furniture with just the Bohemian touch from Home Sense International, to name a few.

 

Urban Chaos - installation by Ar. Sanjay Puri

In a trade fair that welcomes the masses to explore the design and architectural industry, design contemplation is a thought-provoking initiative that gets the thinking caps on. Ar. Sanjay Puri’s Urban Chaos brought to light the architectural mayhem that Mumbai is, with very few spaces that are exemplary in their architectural design. Lack of open spaces, misuse of pavements, insufficient roads, crowded public transport, depletion of mangroves etc., etc. that have led to a severe deterioration of life in our city were depicted through metal scrap in a steel shell as cantilevered light boxes highlighted significant architectural landmarks of the city.

 

Bandana Jain's cardboard designs

Young designer, Bandana Jain’s space challenged the perception of cardboard as a material. Broadly sectioned into three areas – she had a captivating light installation to act as a Selfie Point; the sensuous curves of a woman carved out of cardboard as an awe-inspiring sculpture and a relaxing arena that housed benches culled out of paper tubes - the underlying thought directed at the remarkable use of the mundane ordinary resource.

 

'What is design?' by Kanika Bawa

And the most happy and colourful space that questioned, “What is design?” giving you florescent-coloured post-its to scribble your responses on – was a space designed by interior architect and installation artist, Kanika Bawa, who works in the pursuit of reviving native art forms of India with a contemporary twist. Adding zing to her space were her iconic Kathakali chair, the praying Yogi and a wireframe face with a contemplative visage! 

All in all, the show provided some food for creative thought in addition to being a rich resource for those involved with the building industry – one way or the other.