Art Deco Alive! is a vibrant cultural initiative celebrating the centenary of the Art Deco style of architecture and design by juxtaposing the twin tropical cities of Mumbai and Miami.
Nine thousand miles apart, yet bound by a shared architectural legacy, they are home to the world’s largest surviving clusters of structures belonging to the style.
It is more than a tribute to the past; it’s a vision for a cross-continental dialogue for the future, promoting cultural preservation and engagement, artistic fusion, and collaboration.
Art Deco is a living legacy. A century later, it’s still shaping the way we see, design, and dream. From Ocean Drive to Marine Drive, this is more than a centenary tribute—it’s an ongoing invitation to see our cities not just as spaces to live in, but as legacies to protect and stories to keep alive for generations to come.
Mumbai is home to flamboyant picture palaces, stately public buildings, and quaint private residences characteristic of the 1930s-50s style. South Mumbai’s Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2018, are vindication of the city’s drive to hold onto its architectural diversity against gentrification and vacuous development.
Miami has its South Beach masterpieces, fronted by its charming hotels. The vibrant pastel-colored buildings with chrome accents and tropical motifs line Ocean Drive and lend the city its instantly recognizable identity. Like Mumbai, Miami’s Art Deco district is more than a visual icon— it’s a vibrant, everyday landscape where design, history, and local life intersect.
The initiative also honors the rich Indo-Latin cultural connection. As cosmopolitan coastal cities, Mumbai and Miami share not only a style of architecture but also a spirit—one that’s reflected in music, food, dance and design. This synergy becomes the stage for cross cultural collaborations, artistic exchanges, and storytelling that spans continents.
Scheduled for October 2025 in Miami and November 2025 in Mumbai, the event packs in programming that includes a museum-style centenary exhibit curated by Art Deco Alive! in collaboration with Art Deco Mumbai Trust and the Miami Design Preservation League. It will offer visitors a global overview of the style while focusing on the Mumbai-Miami juxtaposition through a comparison of its iconic buildings, typography and motifs, and pioneering architects.
The twin city programming includes a symposium where architects, conservationists and heritage advocates hold fort; a discussion series; movie screenings; workshops for kids; guided heritage tours; an evening of throwback entertainment, themed F&B pop-ups, and a public celebration around a neighborhood that was once the entertainment and jazz epicentre of Mumbai.
Art Deco Alive!’s four-pronged vision spans celebration, preservation, education and collaboration.
We support preservation through research-driven initiatives amid a rapidly transforming urban landscape.
We educate through community engagement, architectural tours and curated exhibits.
We collaborate across borders by offering a platform for artistic expression, community building, innovation, and meaningful cultural connections.
This is Art Deco Alive! a cultural movement that connects continents, celebrates history, and reimagines the future.
We celebrate by raising a toast to shared histories, artistic influences and cultural dialogues that inspire future connections.
