Miami To Mumbai: Art Deco Alive! Celebrates An Iconic Movement

Mumbai boasts the world’s second-largest collection of Art Deco buildings, following Miami, and it defines much of the city's visual identity, especially along Marine Lines and Marine Drive. It is part of the city’s rich historical and cultural tapestry, yet remains under-recognised. Art Deco Alive!, a three-week-long festival, aims to remedy that.

At the core of the festival is the centenary exhibition, Ocean Drive to Marine Drive: Mapping a Century of Deco | Miami Beach–Mumbai (1925–2025), held at the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum. Curated by Atul Kumar, Founder-Trustee, Art Deco Mumbai Trust, and partnered by Miami Design Preservation League and Art Deco Mumbai Trust, the exhibition celebrates the unique cultural and visual connection between the two cities. It marks 100 years since the 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, where the name and identity of the Art Deco movement was defined. Smiti Kanodia, Founder, Art Deco Alive! shares why the festival is crucial in celebrating Mumbai’s modernist heritage.

Why is it important to celebrate Mumbai's Art Deco heritage?

It’s important to celebrate Mumbai’s Art Deco heritage because it captures a transformative moment in the city’s history—when modernity, creativity, and optimism came together to shape a new urban identity. These buildings are not just beautiful facades; they are living stories of aspiration, craftsmanship, and community. Mumbai’s Art Deco movement was remarkably democratic—it represented design for everyone, not just the elite—and that inclusivity feels deeply relevant today. By celebrating it, we’re not just honouring the past, but reaffirming the values it stood for: progress, balance, and beauty rooted in purpose. In a city evolving at an incredible pace, this celebration is a reminder that heritage and modernity are not opposites — they can, and must, coexist. Preserving and reinterpreting our Deco legacy allows Mumbai to move forward without losing sight of the spirit that made it so unique in the first place.

Art Deco Alive! is a twin city initiative. Can you share similarities between Miami and Mumbai's cultures and communities with Art Deco as the foundation?

At first glance, Miami and Mumbai may seem worlds apart, but when you look closer, their stories run parallel. Both are coastal cities shaped by migration, modernity, and an optimism about the future. In the early 20th century, each embraced Art Deco not just as an architectural style, but as a cultural statement and a reflection of confidence, aspiration, and cosmopolitan identity. What’s fascinating is how both cities adapted the same design language to their own contexts. Miami’s Deco dazzled with pastel hues, nautical motifs, and tropical flair, while Mumbai’s version incorporated Indian craftsmanship, local materials, and motifs drawn from nature, mythology, and geometry. In both, you see a spirit of adaptation and belonging, design that’s global in influence yet local in expression. Art Deco Alive! builds on this shared DNA, using architecture as a bridge between communities and cultures. It’s a celebration of how two dynamic cities transformed the same movement into something uniquely their own.

What are some of the Art Deco Alive! exhibits and experiences that are a must-visit?

There are a few standout experiences and exhibits that capture the festival’s essence and shouldn’t be missed. The ‘Ocean Drive to Marine Drive: Mapping a Century of Deco | Miami Beach–Mumbai (1925–2025)’ exhibition celebrates a hundred years of the Deco movement through rare artefacts, photographs, furniture, and oral histories. The Glamour Glyphs typography workshop by Tanya George offers a creative exploration of Deco lettering, while the film screenings—Cinema Pe Cinema and Finding Carlton: Uncovering the Story of Jazz in India—dive into how cinema and music intertwined with Deco culture. The Block Party at Churchgate Street is set to be a nostalgic celebration with live music, vintage décor, special menus at legacy eateries, and classic cocktails that turn back the clock to when Churchgate was the city’s entertainment hub. The Deco Walks, from Indo-Deco at Shivaji Park with Nikhil Mahasur, to Deco Lives of Matunga with Fiona Fernandez, and Deco by the Bay along Marine Drive led by Dr Anand Shroff, will offer a unique perspective on Mumbai’s living heritage.

After the success of the first edition, what can one expect in next year's Art Deco Alive!?

The goal is to continue this journey, celebrating more Art Deco cities and showcasing design and architectural heritage on a global stage. The first edition of Art Deco Alive! set out to create traction and awareness. Our vision is to build an umbrella platform where architects, interior designers, conservationists, and design specialists can come together to collaborate, exchange ideas, and celebrate the beauty of the Deco era in contemporary ways. We would also like to create awareness and engagement where Mumbaikars and Miamians can enjoy their city as tourists and feel proud of where they live.