In this webinar event, held on 15 July, 2022, Dr. Michael Windover, Associate Professor, Carleton University, looks at the concept of ‘style’ in general and considers the particular case of Art Deco. ‘Art Deco’ is a notoriously ambiguous term. It is a moniker coined only in the 1960s and 70s, retrospectively given to a modern style of architecture that developed in the interwar years. But it is also used to categorise a dizzying array of visual and material culture, from fashion and film, to modern commodities, artworks, furniture, and more. So what is and isn’t Art Deco? What are the limits of this ‘catch-all’ term? More importantly, what’s the use of Art Deco, anyway? Tune in as we debate the value of Art Deco today, as researchers and heritage groups (not unlike Art Deco Mumbai) seek to preserve its history while providing nuance. Following his talk, Dr. Windover is joined in conversation by museum and heritage educator, Alisha Sadikot.
About the Speakers:
Michael Windover is Associate Professor and Head of Art & Architectural History in the School for Studies in Art & Culture, Carleton University. He is the author of ‘Art Deco: A Mode of Mobility’ (2012) and co-editor (with Bridget Elliott) of ‘The Routledge Companion to Art Deco’ (2019). His work has looked at sites in Canada, the United States, and India, ranging in scale from a radio in a living room to a skyscraper, NHL hockey arena to Bombay’s Art Deco picture palaces, emphasising the vast reach and cosmopolitan quality of this mode of design
Alisha Sadikot is a museum and heritage educator who uses walking tours as a tool to encourage public engagement with Mumbai’s urban histories, art and museum collections. Her practice aims at broadening conversations around these aspects of the city, through the Inheritage Project and Art Walks Mumbai. Formerly, Alisha was Curator, Education & Outreach, at the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum.
