The Red Dress Project is a photography project created by artist and choreographer Manuela Benini. An evolving series of photographs featuring Benini’s choreographic movement interactions within natural, architectural and industrial landscapes, The Red Dress has travelled internationally since 2006.

The resulting collection of images are powerful evocation of gender, place and identity which address the complexities of tradition and the constant cycle of change.

Included in 2017’s Darbar Festival are a number of images from Benini’s interventions performed and captured across India, including the vast landfill of Deonar in Mumbai and the industrial scale Aalang ship breaking boatyard, as well as performances in the Kutch area in Gujarat and the Old Town of Ahmedabad. Benini’s resulting photographic and performance interventions within these environments give a unique insight into the beauty and complexity of India in the 21st Century.

Part of Darbar Festival 2017