Inside ID Salon, where function became fine art
The Hindu
Explore how design collectibles are reshaping India's art scene, blending functionality with artistry and contemporary authorship.
India has long embraced collectibles. For instance, among the treasures excavated in Pompeii (after Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 CE) was an ivory Yakshini statuette, also called Pompeii Lakshmi, which showed how early global trade had tapped into it.
But today, the country is widening its outlook. There’s a clear shift from traditional collectibles, which stressed rarity (think silver statues and intricate carpets), to architectural and design pieces with authorship and enduring value. The recent Design section at India Art Fair underlined this, as did the first edition of ID Salon, part of the just-concluded India Design ID in New Delhi.
Among the participating galleries were Æquo, the Mumbai-based craft-led platform; Galerie Scene Ouverte, a designer initiative from Paris; Alexis de Ducla International, a curator-led platform for furniture, textiles, and objets d’art; and Shakti Design Residency, which connects global designers with Indian craftspeople and ateliers (think Tarun Tahiliani, Klove Studio, and the Chanakya School of Craft).
A handcrafted rug by textile artist Helena Bajaj Larsen in collaboration with Jaipur Rugs | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The ‘Vista Collection’ of glass furniture and lights, a collab between New York-based designer Kickie Chudikova and Klove Studio (for Shakti Design Residency), turned heads with its concentric layered glass pieces. Inspired by the multifoil arches of Mughal architecture, each had a glowing central core that illuminated the whole and merged art with functional lighting. “As an Indian architect and designer, I’ve been working with a lot of Indian ateliers and artisans. I wanted to tell their story and find innovative ways to display their work,” says Shalini Misra, who conceived Shakti Design Residency.
Lights from Kickie Chudikova and Klove Studio’s ‘Vista Collection’ | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
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