India

Ephemeral Histories: A Global South Dialogue on the Evolution of European Modernism in Design

Swissnex in India, in collaboration with Swissnex in Brazil and the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, presents Ephemeral Histories, a hybrid global event series exploring how European modernist design principles have been interpreted and transformed across Brazil, India and South Africa. This series brings together voices from architecture, visual design and critical historiography to examine the evolving legacies of modernism in the Global South. This event is part of a global initiative.

Join Us!

In this talk series, examine how modernist design principles have taken root and evolved in diverse ecological, social and cultural landscapes of the Global South.

Design serves as a universal language, connecting time, cultures and disciplines. In this milestone year of their 150th anniversary celebration, the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich is collaborating with designers and artists from around the world to create a unique collection of exhibitions, events and talks in Japan, the USA, China, Brazil, and India!

In India, Swissnex is hosting a hybrid panel discussion exploring how ideas like minimalism, mass production and universal design have adapted into local philosophies such as Gandhian Engineering and frugal innovation. Bhavana Kumar and Nicola la Noce, founders of the Bangalore based architecture-urbanism studio will join the panel to examine how this evolution can be shaped by ecological and environmental conditions.

In Brazil, the event will be hosted at the University of São Paulo (USP) and livestreamed to students at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). Moderated by Felipe Kaiser (USP), the session will feature artists Matheus Leston and Osmond Tshuma and will spotlight design historiography, archival practices and their intersections with ecological and social contexts in Brazil.

Join us for this unique opportunity to engage with artists, designers and educators reshaping the narratives of modernism through locally rooted ecological practices and design ideologies.

About this event: The Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Switzerland’s leading institution for design and visual communication, is pleased to announce a global digital exhibition and event series in partnership with Swissnex. This initiative is part of the museum’s 150th-anniversary celebrations and aims to strengthen its international presence and foster global collaboration. Attend related events in person or virtually. Details will be released soon.

Speakers

  •

    Bio

    Bhavana Kumar

    Kumar La Noce

    Bhavana Kumar is an architect and visual researcher based in Bengaluru. Her current work investigates the cultural and spatial significance of iconic modernist furniture, with a particular focus on the evolving concept of comfort in postcolonial contexts. Through a visual collage methodology, her research engages with design history, material culture and questions of locality. She has collaborated with academic institutions and museums to examine how global design objects are reinterpreted within Indian ecological and social frameworks.

  •

    Bio

    Nicola la Noce

    Kumar La Noce

    Nicola la Noce is an architect and co-founder of the Bengaluru-based architecture and design practice Kumar La Noce. Originally from Italy, he brings a cross-cultural perspective to contemporary architectural discourse, drawing on both European modernist traditions and South Asian spatial practices. His work spans residential, institutional and cultural projects, with a focus on contextual design, material experimentation and ecological responsiveness. Nicola is actively involved in academic and curatorial initiatives and has lectured on architecture and urbanism at institutions in India and abroad.

Partners

Contact

    Divya Sankar

1
1