This video is a documentation of the exhibition in Anegundi in Hampi, Karnataka which took place in November and December of 2022. The exhibition was curated by Mayank Mansingh Kaul, designed by Reha Sodhi and presented by the Registry of Sarees.

The exhibition features a selection of 108 sarees and draped garments – narrated through 9 themes – which have been sourced by The Registry of Sarees over the last 5 years. They represent almost a century, from the late 19th to the early 20th, and comprise textiles from some of the most prominent handloom centres of India, including Kanchipuram, Venkatagiri, Chanderi, Paithan, Patan, Varanasi, Murshidabad and Sambalpur.

Its location at Anegundi is part of an effort to situate the exhibition of textiles out of metropolitan contexts and closer to craft clusters, to inspire innovative engagements between creators, researchers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders.

Bangalore International Centre collaborated with TRS and TKT to bring the exhibition alive in a virtual format in a bid to reach wider audiences.

The Registry of Sarees is a Bengaluru-based research and study centre, founded by Ahalya Matthan, with an interdisciplinary approach that enables design, curatorial and publishing projects in the area of handspun and handwoven textiles.

Founded in 1997 by Shama Pawar, The Kishkinda Trust is committed to conserving the rural heritage around Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and to helping revitalise communities in and around its sister village, Anegundi. They have initiated several capacity-building programs for the women of the village, including the linking of 629 self-help groups to a microfinance service and the establishment of a craft initiative based on banana fibre to generate livelihood opportunities. Over the years, they have been instrumental in empowering Anegundi’s inhabitants to build sustainable economic models that employ local resources.

Direction, Cinematography and Editing