The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), in collaboration with Street°Type°Archive, is currently hosting “Balasinaurus,” a photographic exhibition by Aashim Tyagi, at the Dilip Piramal Art Gallery in Mumbai. The exhibition opened on November 8, 2025, and will run through November 30, 2025, with gallery hours set from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
“Balasinaurus” delves into the overlooked Art Deco heritage of Balasinor, a town in Gujarat more widely recognized for its dinosaur fossil discoveries. Through a vivid photographic series, Tyagi documents the ornate façades, vibrant colors, and unique Gujarati letterforms that characterize the town’s distinctive Indo-Deco homes. The visual narrative brings to the fore how the Art Deco spirit, mostly associated with metropolitan Mumbai, finds distinct expression in smaller towns through local craft and community identity.
Focus on Vernacular Architecture
Unlike traditional explorations of Art Deco that are city-centric, Tyagi’s exhibition draws attention to the vernacular ingenuity and creative adaptation found in Balasinor’s everyday architecture. His work underscores the role of residential design as a living archive of cultural and social expression, challenging the monopoly large cities hold over heritage conversations.
About Street°Type°Archive
This exhibition is an extension of Tyagi’s broader initiative, Street°Type°Archive—a photographic project he founded in 2009. The project is dedicated to documenting the evolving relationship between typography, design, and the built environment. Originally conceived as a research endeavor in Mumbai, Street°Type°Archive has since expanded to chronicle typographic landscapes across India. Alongside physical exhibitions, the archive releases zines, maintains a Substack publication, and is developing plans for a digital repository. The long-term vision includes publishing a definitive book and establishing a permanent archive to safeguard these visual and typographic stories for future generations.
Exhibition Details
Venue: Dilip Piramal Art Gallery, NCPA, Mumbai
Dates: November 9 – 30, 2025
Hours: 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Photographer: Aashim Tyagi
Presented by: NCPA x Street°Type°Archive
“Balasinaurus” invites visitors to engage with the hidden Art Deco heritage of India outside its biggest cities, offering a fresh lens on design, identity, and typographic culture.
Athmaja Biju is the Editor at Abir Pothi. She is a Translator and Writer working on Visual Culture.
