NEW DELHI: Showcased as the centrepiece at the India pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia –being held in Venice is a striking bamboo installation by artist Asif Waqif, emerging as one of the most talked-about artistic interventions at the Biennale.
Constructed like a monumental scaffold, the installation evokes the rapid transformation of contemporary India-- urbanisation, mobility, labour, construction and the rise of a confident new nation.
At the same time, its material language remains deeply rooted in India’s traditional knowledge systems and ecological consciousness.
Union minister for culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated the pavilion on Thursday. The event hosted by the Ministry of Culture drew a distinguished gathering, including Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani of Qatar, industrialists including Sunil Munjal, Laxmi Niwas Mittal, Mukesh Ambani, and international diplomats, artists, and members of the global creative community.
The India Pavilion has been set up by the Ministry of India in collaboration with partners, including Serendipity Arts Foundation and Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC).
The use of bamboo places a spotlight on the lives and knowledge traditions of India’s tribal and rural communities, especially in the North Eastern states and West Bengal, where bamboo is inseparable from everyday life, architecture, craft, food systems and local economies, said officials.
“Often described as 'green gold', bamboo supports livelihoods for thousands of artisans, weavers and women-led self-help groups across India. From basketry and housing to handicrafts and textiles, bamboo remains central to sustainable rural enterprise and community-based economies,” officials added.
Bamboo has occupied an important place in India’s civilisational history and artistic traditions.
It has long been used in musical instruments across regions — from flutes and percussion instruments to ritual and folk performance traditions.
The material therefore connects ecology, craft, sound and spirituality, bringing together ancient practices with contemporary artistic expression.
The Pavilion also subtly foregrounds the role of women in preserving bamboo craft traditions across generations.
In several rural and tribal societies, women are custodians of weaving, processing and artisanal practices linked to bamboo, making the material not only an ecological resource but also a carrier of social memory and cultural continuity.
According to the ministry, the Pavilion drew massive public interest and the presence of leading figures from the global art world, diplomats, collectors, curators and cultural leaders, signalling India’s growing cultural footprint on the international stage.
The India Pavilion this year is themed “Geographies of Distance, Remembering Home”, reflecting on migration, memory, belonging and cultural continuity in a rapidly changing world.
Through the works of five participating artists, Sumakshi Singh, Alwar Balasubramaniam, Ranjani Shettar, Asim Wakif and Skarma Tashi, the Pavilion presents multiple interpretations of identity and rootedness while showcasing the diversity of India’s contemporary artistic language.
Over the next six months, India’s cultural presence across Venice will further expand through a series of musical and performance presentations curated by the Serendipity Arts, reinforcing India’s message of cultural dialogue, sustainability and creative exchange.
