Designed by SpaceMatters, The Bonjour India Experience was the flagship initiative of the Bonjour India 2017-2018, a festival that celebrated Indo-French collaborations through more than 300 events spread over four months across 33 Indian cities. At the heart of the festival, The Bonjour India Experience pavilion was a one-of-its-kind traveling exhibition at the intersection of art, architecture, design, and urbanism. The 9 meter high, 800 square meters, and 40-tonne installation traveled approx. 3500 kilometers from the iconic India Gate in Delhi to Cross Maidan Garden behind the historic Churchgate Station Mumbai to become the star attraction of the world?s largest book fair in Kolkata over a period of three months. It welcomed more than 180,000 visitors over a period of 30 odd days spread over the three cities.
One of the first decisions jointly taken by the clients and the design team lead by SpaceMatters was to locate the pavilion in public urban spaces. While this may seem like an obvious choice, similar cultural events in India have been largely confined to institutional spaces such as museums and cultural centers. Often perceived as elitist, these spaces cater to a small segment of the population and their ambiance is in stark contrast to the diverse energy of the urban public space in Indian cities. As cultural events retreat into gated zones the access to public space in Indian cities is also shrinking, increasingly being policed and monetized.
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