Cultural events to take residents on Chandigarh’s architectural legacy journey

Chandigarh’s architectural identity is being thoughtfully revisited through a series of cultural events that bridge historical theory with living experience. Titled ‘The City Narratives,’ the programme invites residents to look beyond the city’s concrete facades and explore the fragile nature of memory, history and existence. The journey begins with the exhibition, “Architecture of Remembering” at Alliance Française de Chandigarh, offering insight into how a relatively young city negotiates its past.

Curated by TAK Contemporary, the exhibition features artists Philippe Calia and Supriyo Manna. The show proposes that history is not static when reinterpreted in the present. Calia’s work Cloud Atlas employs cyanotypes and satellite imagery to examine the relationship between digital infrastructure and physical space. His work questions how personal histories survive in an age where memories are stored in the “cloud”, prompting reflection on where those memories truly reside.

In contrast, Manna’s “Anatomy of a Dead Garden” presents the skeletal remains of a garden erased by urban expansion. Using tree branches that resemble human bones, the installation reflects on the destruction inherent in development and the fragile persistence of collective memory. The exhibition remains open to the public till March 20.

The narrative then shifts from gallery space to domestic architecture with “Double Framed” at the Aditya Prakash House in Sector 8-C. The 1969 residence has been transformed into a “memory theatre” through 16 wooden frames placed throughout the house. These frames juxtapose family photographs of Prakash’s children with images of his iconic architectural works, including Tagore Theatre.

The installation highlights the interplay between private life and professional achievement, presenting the house as both home and creative laboratory. The exhibition will run daily from 3 pm to 7 pm until March 15.

Complementing these exhibitions is the launch of “Death of a Modernist” by Vikramaditya Prakash. Set in Chandigarh, the book explores themes of inheritance, loss and the evolving relevance of modernism. Together, these initiatives affirm that Chandigarh’s modernist legacy is not a relic of the past, but a living, evolving narrative shaping the city’s present and future.