We celebrate the long-awaited opening announcement for The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC). Serving as the owner's representative for the past seven years, co-founding principal Benton Delinger has shepherded the project from design and construction and has overseen all startup operations for this cultural landmark in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex. The Centre is set to house major exhibitions of art and fashion at The Art House and large-scale musical performances will take place in the Grand Theatre, which can accommodate more than 700 performers and up to 2,000 guests, while more intimate or experimental productions will be staged in a smaller venue.
NMACC is housed within the Jio World Centre, which is also home to the country’s largest convention centre, retail, and hospitality outlets, and more, all in the heart of India’s financial and entertainment capital. The three-storeyed building will open spaces for performing as well as visual arts. A trio of dedicated spaces for the performing arts include The Grand Theatre, The Studio Theatre and The Cube, all built with cutting-edge technology to cater to a wide range of experiences, from intimate screenings and stimulating conversations to multilingual programming and international productions. The centre will also launch the Art House, four-storeyed space spotlighting leading Indian and international artists.
Speaking on the occasion, Isha said, “The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre is so much more than a space – it is the culmination of my mother’s passion for arts, culture, and her love for India. She has always dreamt of creating a platform that would be welcoming to audiences, artists, performers, and creatives at large. Her vision for NMACC is to showcase the best of what India has to offer to the world and bring the world to India.”
On 31st March 2023, the doors to the NMACC will open with a spectacular three-day launch.
Friday, 31st March 2023:
Civilization to Nation: The Journey of Our Nation: In the 2,000-seater Grand Theatre, acclaimed Indian playwright and director Feroz Abbas Khan will bring together a sensory narrative of Indian culture told through the tenets of the classical Natya Shastra, the ancient Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. This dramatic showcase boasts over 700 performers and features art forms such as dance, music and puppetry.
Saturday, 1st April 2023:
India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the Fashionable Imagination: Curated by prolific author and costume expert Hamish Bowles, editor-in-chief, The World of Interiors, international editor-at-large, Vogue US, this exhibit traces the widespread impact and influence of India’s sartorial traditions in textiles, jewellery and surface ornamentation on global fashion spanning the 18th-21st century. Accompanying this exhibition is a coffee table book published by Rizzoli, documenting a comprehensive history of India and its impact on fashion worldwide for the very first time.
Sunday, 2nd April 2023:
Sangam Confluence: Curated by India’s leading cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote and Jeffrey Deitch, American curator, former director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles and founder of his eponymous gallery, Sangam Confluence is a group art show that celebrates diverse cultural impulses and traditions at the 16,000 sq. ft Art House. The exhibit, spread over four levels, explores the multiplicity of India through the works of 11 esteemed and emerging Indian contemporary artists and western artists influenced by India.