Back

Migration in the Context of the Urban–Rural: Material as Media

Workshops
Migration in the Context of the Urban–Rural: Material as Media
Migration in the Context of the Urban–Rural: Material as Media
Migration in the Context of the Urban–Rural: Material as Media
Migration in the Context of the Urban–Rural: Material as Media
Migration in the Context of the Urban–Rural: Material as Media
Migration in the Context of the Urban–Rural: Material as Media
Migration in the Context of the Urban–Rural: Material as Media

About The Experience

On 29 January 2025, Migration in the Context of the Urban–Rural: Material as Media culminated in a public presentation at the Partition Museum, Dara Shukoh Library, Old Delhi. The event marked the conclusion of a two-part workshop organised by Seema Kohli in collaboration with the School of Design, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Delhi, as part of Khula Aasman, her solo project curated by Adwait.


Facilitated by Rubina Singh and Tales of City, the workshop engaged students in a critical exploration of migration, material memory, and the personal histories embedded within objects — themes central to Khula Aasman. Kohli’s exhibition reflects on her own family’s migration during the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan, honouring the material and intangible memories that shape journeys across generations.
The first session invited students to reflect on their own personal journeys through objects that hold memory. These materials became entry points into discussions on how objects transcend time, carrying layered narratives of movement, belonging, and displacement. Students also engaged with excerpts from Mitr Pyaare Nu, the autobiography of Krishan Dev Kohli, deepening their understanding of lived histories and inherited memory.


The second session began with a curated walk through Old Delhi led by Sohail Hashmi and Tales of City. Moving through streets shaped by centuries of migration, students encountered stories of settlement and survival, interacting with local residents and listening to accounts of movement and material inheritance. These conversations foregrounded how everyday objects — utensils, textiles, documents — sustain identity while also bearing traces of rupture and loss.


Bringing these reflections together, the workshop concluded with a futuring exercise. Students created artworks envisioning a future archive of material memories they might carry in the event of migration — imagining objects that would preserve connection, resilience, and continuity.
The culmination of the workshop was a public presentation of the students’ works at the Partition Museum on 29 January 2025, with Guest of Honour Prof. Anu Singh Lather, Vice Chancellor, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Delhi. The presentation formed a significant extension of Khula Aasman, fostering deeper dialogue around migration, memory, and material as media through artistic expression.

EXHIBITIONS
  • ALL
  • CANVAS —
  • ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
  • ARCHIVAL PRINT
  • DRAWING
  • OIL ON CANVAS
  • PAINTING ON WOOD
  • PAPERWORKS —
  • ARCHIVAL PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS / DRAWINGS
  • ETCHING
  • LITHOGRAPHS
  • PAINTINGS
  • SERIGRAPHS
  • WOODCUT
  • ZINC PLATE INTAGLIO PRINT
  • SCULPTURES —
  • BRONZE
  • GLASS-REINFORCED POLYMER
  • PAINTINGS
  • SANDSTONE
  • TERRACOTTA
  • WOODEN
  • THREADWORKS —
  • CLOTH
  • EMBROIDERY
  • WOODWORKS —
  • ACRYLIC ON WOOD
  • ALL
  • CANVAS —
  • ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
  • ARCHIVAL PRINT
  • DRAWING
  • OIL ON CANVAS
  • PAINTING ON WOOD
  • PAPERWORKS —
  • ARCHIVAL PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS / DRAWINGS
  • ETCHING
  • LITHOGRAPHS
  • PAINTINGS
  • SERIGRAPHS
  • WOODCUT
  • ZINC PLATE INTAGLIO PRINT
  • SCULPTURES —
  • BRONZE
  • GLASS-REINFORCED POLYMER
  • PAINTINGS
  • SANDSTONE
  • TERRACOTTA
  • WOODEN
  • THREADWORKS —
  • CLOTH
  • EMBROIDERY
  • WOODWORKS —
  • ACRYLIC ON WOOD
  • ALL
  • ART FAIR/ BIENNALES
  • CANVAS
Bodies of Work
  • ALL
  • HERBS OF INHERITANCE
  • KHULA AASMAN
  • MOON MYTHS
  • SAPTA MATRIKA
  • SHAKTI
  • TANTRA
  • THE GOLDEN WOMB SERIES
  • TREE OF LIFE
  • YOGINIS
  • ALL
  • ARTICLES
  • EXHIBITIONS
  • PAINTINGS
  • PERFORMANCES