V&A Exhibition Explores Tropical Modernism's Postcolonial Legacy in India and Ghana

The Victoria & Albert Museum in London presents 'Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence,' examining how postcolonial independence shaped architectural modernity in India and Ghana. A compelling display features a grid of postcards from Ghana, dated 1959-1971 and lent by Postbox Ghana, showing modernist buildings alongside traditional scenes. This juxtaposition illustrates the tension between internationalist architecture and vernacular roots. The exhibition highlights architects Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, who designed in Ghana during the 1940s-1950s and initially worked on Chandigarh at Jawaharlal Nehru's invitation. Le Corbusier's Chandigarh stands as a monumental example of tropical modernism. Objects include a masterplan drawing, a Jeanneret chair, and models like the Tower of Shadows. The show reveals how modernism in the Global South deviated from monochrome European sources, incorporating vibrancy and color, as seen in a vertical axonometric sketch of Aranya township housing. It features works by B.V. Doshi, Achyut Kanvinde, Victor Adegbite, J. Max Bond Jr., and Habib Rahman, demonstrating localized adaptations for climate and ideology. Contemporary architects like Studio Mumbai, Francis Kéré, Yasmeen Lari, and Anupama Kundoo are included, with vox pops from practitioners. The exhibition runs through September 22, tracing a lineage from Indian and West African modernisms to today's global architecture.