Location
Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum,
SW7 2RL
Dates
This exhibition runs from Sat, 2nd Mar 2024 to Sun, 22nd Sep 2024.
Forthcoming dates:
Cost: £14
Description
An exhibition about an architectural style developed in the 1940s and adopted after independence by India and Ghana as a symbol of modernity and progressiveness, distinct from colonial culture.
In the late 1940s, British architects Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry developed the tools of Tropical Modernism in West Africa, adapting a Modernist aesthetic that valued function over ornament to the hot, humid conditions of the region. Britain’s unique contribution to International Modernism was a colonial architecture, developed against the background of anti-colonial struggle.
Drew and Fry worked primarily in Ghana and India. Following independence, Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Ghanaian prime minister Kwame Nkrumah commissioned major new projects in this style, using Tropical Modernism as a tool for nation-building and as a symbol of their internationalism and progressiveness. A new generation of national architects more sensitive to local context gave birth to distinctive alternative Modernisms. The exhibition centres and celebrates these practitioners and the alternative Modernisms they created.
Tropical Modernism, despite its colonial associations, became an architectural symbol of a postcolonial future, symbolising the utopian possibility of the transitional moment in which a break with the past was articulated through architecture and new freedoms were won.
The exhibition will include models, drawings, letters, photographs, and archival ephemera documenting the key figures and moments of the Tropical Modernist movement, and a half hour film installation displayed on three screens. These artifacts won’t just speak to architecture, but also about modernism’s wider role in narratives about decolonisation and the construction of national identity.
Contact and Booking Details
More information at this website.
Reserve tickets at this website
Disclaimer
The information and prices in this listing are presumed to be correct at the time of publishing, but please always check with the venue before making a special trip.
All images are supplied by the exhibition organiser.
This exhibition runs from Sat, 2nd Mar 2024 to Sun, 22nd Sep 2024
This event runs over several days/weeks. Dates include:
April 2024
- Sun, 28th Apr 2024
Closed - Mon, 29th Apr 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 30th Apr 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm)
May 2024
- Wed, 1st May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 2nd May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 3rd May 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 4th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 5th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 6th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 7th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 8th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 9th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 10th May 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 11th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 12th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 13th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 14th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 15th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 16th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 17th May 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 18th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 19th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 20th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 21st May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 22nd May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 23rd May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 24th May 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 25th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 26th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 27th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 28th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 29th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 30th May 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 31st May 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm)
June 2024
- Sat, 1st Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 2nd Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 3rd Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 4th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 5th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 6th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 7th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 8th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 9th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 10th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 11th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 12th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 13th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 14th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 15th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 16th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 17th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 18th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 19th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 20th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 21st Jun 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 22nd Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 23rd Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 24th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 25th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 26th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 27th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 28th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 29th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 30th Jun 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm)
July 2024
- Mon, 1st Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 2nd Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 3rd Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 4th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 5th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 6th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 7th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 8th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 9th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 10th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 11th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 12th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 13th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 14th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 15th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 16th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 17th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 18th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 19th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 20th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 21st Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 22nd Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 23rd Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 24th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 25th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 26th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 27th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 28th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 29th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 30th Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 31st Jul 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm)
August 2024
- Thu, 1st Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 2nd Aug 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 3rd Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 4th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 5th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 6th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 7th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 8th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 9th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 10th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 11th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 12th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 13th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 14th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 15th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 16th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 17th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 18th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 19th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 20th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 21st Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 22nd Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 23rd Aug 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 24th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 25th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 26th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 27th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 28th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 29th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 30th Aug 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 31st Aug 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm)
September 2024
- Sun, 1st Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 2nd Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 3rd Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 4th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 5th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 6th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 7th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 8th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 9th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 10th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 11th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 12th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 13th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 14th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 15th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Mon, 16th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Tue, 17th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Wed, 18th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Thu, 19th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Fri, 20th Sep 2024
(10:00am - 10:00pm) - Sat, 21st Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm) - Sun, 22nd Sep 2024
(10:00am - 5:45pm)
Other exhibitions open at Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum