Interactive building skin that highlights city info| Art that can get you introspective| A creative’s inspirational den| Redefining bathroom luxury| and more

We speak of art as empowering. But how much of it does the layman actually comprehend? Our story on the saint-poet Kabir’s mystic poetry being translated into visual art touched a deep chord inside us. With the involvement of Kabir in artist Gayatri Mehta’s conscience (he seems totally seeped into her being), and with Mumbai’s ongoing Kala Ghoda Festival, where so many art installations – a lot of them interactive – make their presence felt with myriad social messages, how much of this is actually being consumed in the way it is intended? We had this little round-table at the office and have decided to test it with a guinea group. So, our exercise will soon shape up to draw some profound results. We should be getting back to you on this soon.

Meanwhile, our other stories this week are thought-provoking too; but more intriguing I would say. Like the eat-around-the-kitchen-counter restaurant in Amsterdam – it gives a cosy feel and is quite unique to have a close personal banter with strangers – over the love for food. Nice.

The façade being interactive is another moniker that tells us how technology is overriding our lives and how on the not-so-rosy front, we are losing the essence of the human touch altogether.

Bringing sunshine into the picture is our cover story – we’ve again put Renesa architects on the cover; they seem to be doing some good stuff – that identifies how simple ingenious interventions can make adaptive reuse a welcome exercise.

Enjoy the issue. Until next week,

Warmly,

Savitha Hira

Editor