Bhavna Kakkar, who is the force behind the Latitude 28 Art Gallery, and the Take On Art Magazine, conceptualized and put together the first edition of TAKE Pop-Up, in partnership with Anubhav Nath of Ojas Arts. The pop-up was scheduled for the 16th and 17th of October, 2021 at the beautiful 1AQ at Mehrauli.
The focus of the pop-up was Design, Home and Fashion and two days included stalls of several well-known brands as well as niche and boutique brands showcasing unique ceramics, art collectibles, wearable art, jewellery, garments, home decor, tableware, stationery, skincare, and accessories. In addition to these, there were also food and beverage stalls including coffee, pies, pizza, gelato and several stalls serving Indian food and also burgers.
Personally, I was excited to be part of this pop-up for my art label KhaosPhilos. While I have participated in one exhibit previously, TAKE would be the first time I would be gaining exposure to an art industry stalwart and their friends. Also, this was the first physical event that I participated in after the pandemic. ( Covid19 is now endemic – so it’s safe to say that the pandemic is over – for the most part. )
Some stalls were outdoors and some were indoors. There was also a curated section where Bhavna has carefully selected unique art and ceramic collectibles from various artists and displayed them.
Above are some photographs from the evening of 15th October when I dropped by for a bit for the setup of the pop-up.
DAY ONE
Day One was sweltering! Who knew October could be THIS hot. Whenever I got a chance, I was running into the indoors air-conditioning setup. Thankfully, the beautiful, big Banyan tree protected some of us from the worst of the heat. It was a Saturday and most of the folks I had invited had mentioned that they would be dropping in on Sunday.
DAY TWO
Everyone was excited for Day Two! It started of well and then halfway, the skies got super dark and it started POURING rain! To be honest, it was one of those things that happen in life that you will remember forever. Someone got a speaker and started playing music. Someone put together a bit of food ( that was still dry ). Someone even pulled out a bottle of Vodka and ice! Camaraderie at its finest.
Since there was an indication of rain on the forecast, plastic sheets were made available for the outside stalls. And the venue was aware where water would collect the most and they laid out mats to ensure people could still walk.
Some of the pop-up experts ( folks who have been participating in pop-ups since I was a teenager ), told me to hang on and that one never knows how things change. Since I was tempted to just wrap up and go home. So, I stayed and BOY were they right! The visitors who showed up after rain had subsided ( and many showed up! ), were there to shop and shop they did. It was an incredible experience for me.
Thank you for everything Bhavna and Anubhav and hope to see you soon! If this first edition was any indication of the power of art stalwarts in this space ( despite the rain! ), I’m definitely ALL IN for the second and ALL editions of the TAKE Pop-Up!
All in all, completely worth it in terms of a learning experience for a n00b like me. Here’s to many more!
Sharing a few of the design creatives that the TAKE pop-up used to announce brands and dates while promoting the pop-up on social media.
