This fall, Mumbai is gearing up to celebrate its architectural heritage with Art Deco Alive!, a one-of-a-kind cross-continental festival marking the 100th anniversary of the Art Deco movement. Starting from November 7–25, the festival will connect two iconic coastal cities, Mumbai and Miami, each home to some of the world’s most extensive Art Deco collections.
With exhibitions, heritage walks, symposia, film screenings, and more, Art Deco Alive! shines a spotlight on the rich cultural and creative legacy of this timeless design movement, bringing together architecture, history, and modern-day interpretations.
Mumbai’s Art Deco Marvels | A stroll through the city’s architectural heritage & evolution
A cross-continental celebration of architecture, culture, and legacy
Founded by Smiti Kanodia alongside Salma Merchant Rahmathulla and Gayatri Hingorani Dewan, the festival promises to transform heritage into a living, breathing experience. The exhibition’s attraction, “From Ocean Drive to Marine Drive” at Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, places Mumbai’s Marine Drive and Oval Maidan in dialogue with Miami’s South Beach, showcasing how both cities embraced the movement’s geometric elegance in the 1930s.
The festival is set to celebrate trailblazers like Perin J Mistri (1913-1989), India’s first female architect, whose iconic designs include the Shengre La building and St Stephen’s Church. Her legacy joins those of Indian architects who fused Art Deco’s modernist lines with local motifs, think diyas, farmers, and indigenous patterns adorning buildings like Keval Mahal and Bharat Mahal.
The Art Deco Alive! Festival in Miami held from October 8-12, kicked off with a 1920s Rewind Cocktail Party at The Wolfsonian–FIU, bringing together architects and artists. Highlights included the Twin-City Centenary Museum Exhibition, a collaboration with Mumbai, showcasing pioneering architects from both cities. The event also featured heritage tours, family scavenger hunts in South Beach, a Jewellery Edit Cocktail, and a symposium on architectural conservation and cross-cultural design.
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Heritage walks, Jazz soirées & 1950s Bombay vibes
Beyond exhibitions, expect heritage walks through UNESCO-recognised neighbourhoods, a Churchgate Street Rewind block party evoking 1950s Bombay, Jazz Soirées at iconic 1930s addresses, Deco Talks exploring cinema and jewellery influences, and family-friendly scavenger hunts uncovering hidden design gems.
For more information about Art Deco Alive!, please visit https://www.artdecoalive.org/ and follow the collective on Instagram.
When- November 7-25 | 10 AM- 5:30 PM
Where- Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum
