Shaunak Mahbubani (KLATSCH Collective)

Project 560
2015-2016

Grant Period: Over four months

Shaunak Mahbubani is a member of an artists’ collective called Klatsch. While members of Klatsch have no specific criteria for the kinds of projects they involve themselves with, they have always laid emphasis on keeping their work interactive and inclusive of the general public. A few members of Klatsch unexpectedly stumbled upon Mohan Building during a shopping spree through Chikpet. Fascinated by the architecture of the building and its history, Shaunak, another member of the group Vineet, and their team decided to create an artistic intervention in that space.

Built in 1909, Mohan Building has adorned many avatars till date. It was built initially to house a taluk kacheri. After the kacheri was shifted, the building became a commercial complex with silk and cotton shops occupying it. It later became a police station and then again, the Bombay Ananda Bhavan lodge. Supported by this grant, Klatsch seeks to unearth the history of Bangalore and its living heritage through an engagement with the multi-layered narratives of Mohan Building and its precincts. A series of multi-disciplinary artistic interventions within that space that take participants through an immersive journey will be the outcome of this project. 

This grant is part of Project 560, 2015, which was made possible with support from Citi India.