Urban Palimpsest

This exhibition, Urban Palimpsest, seeks to capture the essence of a city that exists as both a physical reality and an idea—a space defined by its perpetual transformation. Through the lens of five contemporary photographers, the exhibition reveals Bombay as a living organism, where history, memory, and modernity are etched upon one another in a ceaseless dialogue.

Bombay, as a metropolis, is more than its iconic skyline or sprawling streets. It is a palimpsest—a city layered with traces of colonial pasts, post-independence aspirations, and globalized ambitions. Each photograph in this exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the intricate textures of this urban landscape, shaped by migration, commerce, cinema, culture, and above all, resilience. The artists explore the city's transient and permanent qualities, capturing moments of pause amidst its relentless pace.

Fawzan Hussain documents the once ubiquitous Premier Padmini kali-peelis (black-and-yellow taxis), emblematic of the city's daily rhythms and the intimate microcosms they contain. Hemant Chaturvedi’s series evokes nostalgia through the remnants of shuttered single-screen cinemas, or talkies, which once moulded Bombay’s collective imagination. Shantanu Das reflects on pivotal facets of the city’s identity, unveiling the multilayered narrative that defines its existence. Dimpy Bhalotia’s photographs explore the intimate relationship between Bombay and its inhabitants, highlighting fleeting human interactions amidst urban chaos. Zahra Amiruddin offers a dreamlike exploration of the city, rendering its spaces with a poetic intimacy that transcends conventional representation.

Together, these works present a nuanced portrait of a city in flux yet deeply rooted in its historical and cultural layers. Urban Palimpsest invites viewers to engage with Bombay, or now Mumbai, not merely as a physical entity but as a conceptual and emotional terrain, shaped by the continuous rewriting of its past and future.