Press Release
Exhibition Celebrating the music of women in early 20th century India– Curated and designed by Parthiv Shah
A multimedia performance by Vidya Shah
Jaipur, 26 March: An exhibition entitled ‘Women on Record’, celebrating the music of women in early 20th century India began today at Jawahar Kala Kendra. Curated and designed by Parthiv Shah, the exhibition was inaugurated by Mr. Vikram Golcha in JKK Museum Galleries 2 & 3.
The exhibition is an overview of the women who sang in the gramophone era, of the technology that evolved in the first half of the 20th century and the impact of these changes on the world of Indian music. The exhibition features a tapestry of archival images, contemporary photography of the Jalsaghar of that time. In addition, through a series of video interviews with artists, collectors and connoisseurs, some of whom even witnessed some of these soirees, created another world of stories and anecdotal experiences.
Women on Record combined newer technologies with contemporary art practices in collaboration with artist communities traversing across film, photography, scenography, dance, theatre and music. The art practices came together to recreate the ambience of the gramophone era.
The inauguration was followed by a multimedia performance by Vidya Shah celebrating women singers in the gramophone era. The scripted performance involved narration, visuals and a concert to walk the audience through and experience the time and the challenges of women singers as well as their sense of enterprise including the diverse repertoire they brought into Indian music.
The exhibition will be on display at the refurbished Museum Galleries of Jawahar Kala Kendra and will remain open for public viewing till 30 April (Closed on Mondays and Public Holidays).