About the Project
Kashmiri Gharbaar was an insight into the daily life of Kashmiri & Pakistani furnishings, customs and traditions. Installation designed and curated by Robina Akhtar, supported by Peterborough Presents.
Inspired by Robina’s grandparents’ courtyard and homestead, the installation gave a nostalgic glimpse into the life of first generation elders in rural and working class villages and farms, as well as an insight into both historic and present everyday lifestyles. The display featured a vibrant and creative collection of colourful South Asian objects and patterns, many of which handmade by local residents or their families back home. Highlights included the butter churn and the “manji” (bed).
How it was received
We had a great turn-out, a mixture of people who came to the museum specifically to see the installation, and lots of passers-by or visitors to the museum who stumbled across the installation. People really enjoyed the interactivity and reflecting on how daily life has changed across landscapes and generations. Our friendly volunteers gave people guided tours and shared their own personal memories of the objects too.
We had originally planned to host the installation outside on both days, but due to the high gusts of wind, we had to move the installation inside. Huge thanks to Peterborough Museum, especially Aimi for helping us problem solve and find a way for the installation to still go ahead!
In numbers…
- 183 visitors
- 2 manjis
- Over 30 cups of pink tea
- Over 100 churns of the butter churn
In words….
“I appreciate how accurate the installation was at representing Kashmiri homes in rural areas. I enjoyed seeing a visual representation of what my grandma talks about within her stories reminiscing of when she was in Pakistan.”
“Interesting to hear about another culture.”
“I am Kashmiri. Today I see the things and I feel I am in Kashmir. I really appreciate and love it.”
“I absolutely loved the fabrics and how beautiful the patterns were. A lovely lady showed me around, and explained what things were, made me see life from a different perspective.”
