The Communities of Choice exhibition was situated in an old industrial warehouse structureat the TKM complex in Kochi’s Mattancherry locality. The pulse of the exhibition’s location pervades the ambience, layering the experience with an inimitably nascent yet timeless quality. 

The design response is an ode to the concept of a Black Box Theatre. This flexible performance space model lends its volume to artists in unlimited ways. The simplicity of the structure acts as a catalyst, framing the artwork in dialogue with the space. The gallery’s structure is an abstraction of the pentagonal (sloped roof archetype of a house) silhouette of the warehouse itself, echoing the primary two-dimensional imagery associated with a home. We have expanded the notion of a house in an extroverted light. And what are communities, if not intangible homes, that allow us to put down roots the world over? Our approach is asimplified, typological representation of the same. The gallery assumes a linear form, accentuating the expanse of the warehouse. A choreography of movement is apparent within the gallery kudos to the strategically positioned entry and exit points, impelling one to experience the rhythmic transition of curated pieces, fabricating an antithesis of the stark,white-drenched minimalist white cube galleries. 

There are cuts made into the volume along the edges of the pentagonal structure. This angular intervention breaks the linearity of the mass and lends the space a dynamic quality. Furthermore, placing the gallery box along a diagonal axis within the warehouse creates an additional layer of movement within the warehouse. This minor yet significant shift in the blueprint’s juxtaposition recharges the volume of the space, generating new perspectives within the existing environment.