Writer: Maristella Casciato

The Open Hand Reloaded

The Open Hand Reloaded

Maristella Casciato

* Maristella Casciato (architect, architectural historian, and educator) is senior curator, head of architectural collections at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles.

Chandigarh’s Forgotten Modernists

Chandigarh’s Forgotten Modernists

Maristella Casciato, Eashan Chaufla, Deepika Gandhi and Vikramaditya Prakash

The following conversation took place to mark the opening of Chandigarh’s Indian Modernists at the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh (28 February–25 April 2026). The exhibition was curated by Deepika Gandhi, Eashan Chaufla, Vikramaditya Prakash, and Maristella Casciato. The text is illustrated with objects included in the exhibition. What… Read More

Le Corbusier, Album Punjab, 1951

Le Corbusier, Album Punjab, 1951

Maristella Casciato

The following text first appeared in Maristella Casciato, Le Corbusier Album Punjab, 1951 (Zurich: Lars Müller Publications, 2024), 17–21. * Le Corbusier embarked on his first visit to the Indian state of Punjab in 1951 in anticipation of the planning and construction of Chandigarh. Included in his luggage was a notebook, which he… Read More

In the Archive: Maristella Casciato (Video)

In the Archive: Maristella Casciato (Video)

Maristella Casciato

From April to July, Maristella Casciato was Drawing Matter’s Visiting Scholar—our first in London. During her time in the archive, she made new discoveries and started many stimulating conversations. Among other things, she closely studied Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh Punjab Grille Capitol album, translated a selection of Gio Ponti’s illustrated letters,… Read More

Collection Guide: Gio Ponti

Collection Guide: Gio Ponti

Maristella Casciato and Rosie Ellison-Balaam

Gio Ponti (1891-1979) was born in Milan, and while he had ambitions to become an artist, he enrolled in architecture at the Politecnico di Milano in 1913. He completed his studies in 1921 after serving in the war, and in the same year, he opened his firm. Ponti is often… Read More

Maristella Casciato on Le Corbusier’s Grille Capitol Booklet (Video)

Maristella Casciato on Le Corbusier’s Grille Capitol Booklet (Video)

Maristella Casciato

Maristella Casciato, Senior Curator and Head of Architecture Special Collections at the Getty Reseach Institute in Los Angeles, takes us through Le Corbusier’s 1952 Chandigarh Grille Capitol booklet.

Collection Guide: Le Corbusier

Collection Guide: Le Corbusier

Maristella Casciato and Nicholas Olsberg

Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, 1887-1865) trained in the fine and decorative arts before undertaking travels and varied apprenticeships to develop his architectural skills, opening a studio and teaching practice in La Chaux in 1912, and moving to Paris in 1917 to work principally as a… Read More