A dialogue around light, art & shared histories

As dusk settled over Travancore Palace, light itself became the evening’s storyteller. The projection of Johannes Vermeer’s Girl With A Pearl Earring on one of the palace walls was met with keen interest from the visitors.

Inheritance Of Light, Geographies Of Loss unfolded as a multidisciplinary showcase of historical and contemporary works. Organised by the Embassy of the Netherlands and Engendered, the exhibition welcomed a cultural delegation from the Netherlands.

Jointly organised by the Embassy of the Netherlands and Engendered, the special curation welcomed the cultural delegation from the Netherlands, which included Dewi van de Weerd, the Ambassador for International Cultural Cooperation at Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Robert van Langh, General Director of Drents Museum, and Martine Gosselink.

The art exhibition, titled Inheritance of Light, Geographies of Loss, was a multidisciplinary showcase bringing together historical and contemporary works like paintings, miniature art, textiles, glass, sculpture, photography, and digital and AI-based practices. Together, they explored how illumination is shaped, inherited and translated across India and the Netherlands.

'India and the Netherlands go back a long way'Myna Mukherjee from Engendered, who curated the exhibition shared, “At the exhibition, Dutch traditions of interior light and chiaroscuro were placed in dialogue with South Asian approaches that understand light as awareness and presence.

The exhibition opens with Mughal miniature paintings, foregrounding a moment of early Indo - European visual exchange that also shaped European art history. Each of the works, presented by 45 artists, had a certain reference to Indo-Dutch relationships.

Either they are diametrically different, or they are similar.”

Reflecting on the India-Netherlands relationship, Ambassador of the Netherlands Marisa Gerards said, “India and the Netherlands go back a long way.

In the Netherlands, we have a lot of light, we don’t have curtains and if you are walking through the streets, you can always look in the living rooms. When you think about light and you think about art, you have to think about Rembrandt, who was inspired by the Mughal miniatures in the 17th century.

Around the same time, textiles from Tamil Nadu also arrived in the Netherlands.”

An ode to Indian craftsmanshipThe evening concluded on a high note with designer JJ Valaya showcasing a collection that revisits a time when Europe viewed the Orient as a land of wonder, spirituality and opulence, reimagined for the contemporary world.

The collection displayed silks, velvets, organza, tulle, and brocade in the hues of ancient trade routes like muted spice tones, antique neutrals, and deep bridal reds. Layering emerged as a key element, particularly in the bridal ensembles, where Alika jackets were worn over capes. Valaya remarked, “The presentation is very interesting because several pieces of couture are layered over each other. We’re always finding the best craftsmen and making sure that we don't lose that one edge that we enjoy, which is having the access to probably the finest inhabited crafts that the world could offer.

Even in this AI age, everything is masterfully created by hand, right from the drawing to the embroidery. We hope it will remain the finest and someday find a way into the museums.” "Diamonds, Polki, emeralds, and rubies were chosen for their ability to absorb and reflect history as much as light," says jewellery designer Archana Aggarwal, whose designs were worn by the models.