Manuel Bougot has taken pictures of the architecture of Le Corbusier since the 1980s. He produced an in-depth photographic study of the public and private spaces in Chandigarh, the capital of two Indian states, Haryana and Punjab.
By inviting Le Corbusier, in 1949, to plan and oversee the construction of Chandigarh, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to make an impression. Two years after Indian partition and independence , the creation of a new capital for Punjab, which lost much of its territory in the creation of Pakistan, was a strong political gesture.
With his team of Western and Indian architects, which included Pierre Jeanneret and Jane Drew, Le Corbusier designed a city for people whose lifestyle and culture was completely foreign to him.
Sixty years later, Manuel Bougot is seeking to understand and show how the Indians of Chandigarh live in those spaces today.
Divided into sectors separated by wide roads, the city is organized according to four functions: living, working, commuting, and taking care of one’s mind and body.
Bougot takes us through the public buildings and across the large plazas of the capital, drawing our attention to the architectural details that are the basis of Le Corbusier’s style.
The sleek and innovative character of these spaces designed by Le Corbusier and Jeanneret, common throughout Chandigarh, are expressed perfectly through Bougot’s lens.
It is a magnificent journey, intimate and silent, into the heart of this utopian city.
Sybile Girault
Chadigarh : Portrait of the city – Manuel Bougot
Until October 27th, 2012
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Hyundai MGF Building, Ground Floor
1 Jhandewalan, Faiz Road
New Delhi 110005, India
Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11 AM – 7 PM.
Closed on national holidays
