Making Space:Sensing Place

In October 2009, along with artist Thurle Wright, I was awarded a Making Space:Sensing Place Fellowship; part of the HAT: Here and There International Exchange Programme, managed by A Fine Line:Cultural Practice. The Fellowship includes residencies with Britto Arts in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with Arts Reverie in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, with The V&A Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green, London and with The Harley Gallery, Nottinghamshire. Working and collaborating with artists and craftspeople from the UK, Bangladesh and India, responding to the collections and spaces we encounter and sharing these experiences through a touring exhibition and educational workshops.

This blog, which is still developing and being added to, is a record of my experiences during the MS:SP Fellowship. Steven Follen.
www.stevenfollen.com

Monday 1 March 2010

Sarkhej Rosa

At sunset, after listening to an introduction to Indian classical music, we briefly visited Sarkhej Rosa, some 10km distance to the SW of Ahmedabad on the outskirts of city. 

The complex of buildings, built around an artificial lake, include; the mausoleum of Shaikh Ahmed Khattu Ganj Baksh, a Sufi saint and a friend/advisor to Sultan Ahmed Shah (founder of Ahmedabad), a mosque, pavilions and gardens.
The stunning architecture includes intericately carved screens, a grid of pillars which hold up a series of huge domes and a large courtyard. The stone work incorporates both the skills and style of the indigenous Hindu and Jain carvers combined with the influence of the Islamic traditions from Persia.

The space and the cool of the evening gave a beautiful calm. In the 15th century, the complex  had been a retreat for the Royal Families and today it is continues to be used by visitors as a place to relax and picnic. Many, like ourselves, come to visit in the evening light.  
A place to revisit later during my stay.