A group of artists is building a mobile design museum in the slums of Dharavi, India. Located on a patch of former swampland in downtown Mumbai, the neighborhood of Dharavi represents one of the world's largest slums. The informal settlement was built entirely by the local residents, making the neighborhood the site of immense creativity.
Now a group of artists has decided to build a museum to showcase the design talents of the local people. The 'Design Museum Dharavi' is the brainchild of artists Jorge Mañes Rubio, Matias Echanove, Amanda Pinatih and Rahul Srivastava. The small museum will be towed by a car or bicycle and it will travel around the neighborhood displaying objects from different areas. The displays are designed to showcase the talents of the people who call the slums of Dharavi home and how they are changing the way we think of informal settlements. As the artists explain, "Their ability to reinvent themselves and their surroundings is exceptional, mastering the creation of what we call 'user-generated neighborhoods."
While the mobile museum is still being constructed, the team plans to open doors to the public sometime during February of 2016.
What's Driving This Trend
- Mobile Design Museums
- Creating mobile design museums allows for greater accessibility and enables the showcasing of creativity in unconventional locations.
- Showcasing Local Talent
- Design museums that focus on showcasing local talent highlight the unique perspectives and skills found within specific communities.
- Reinventing Informal Settlements
- Design museums in informal settlements highlight the innovative ways in which communities are transforming their surroundings.
Who This Affects Most
- Art and Design
- The art and design industry can benefit from the concept of mobile design museums by exploring new ways to exhibit and engage with art.
- Tourism and Travel
- The tourism and travel industry can tap into the concept of showcasing local talent by offering curated experiences that allow visitors to immerse themselves in the creative offerings of different communities.
- Urban Planning
- The urban planning industry can learn from the concept of reinventing informal settlements by adopting a more inclusive and community-focused approach in designing and developing neighborhoods.
