“Last year when Independence Day was about a month away, a germ of an idea over coffee transformed into a discussion amongst the team about curating a contemporary experience around the history of India simply because of the lack of it, and Indianama was born.” – Kunel Gaur, Artist and Creative Head, Animal.
Indianama was started by the creative agency in 2016. They decided to bring together 69 artists to create 69 original pieces of artwork capturing significant events from every year of India, starting from 1947, to celebrate India’s 69 years of independence.
This year, for Independence Day, they asked 70 artists to come up with their own version of what India means to them.
This led to 70 unique creations celebrating 70 years of this vibrant, independent and diverse nation. The entire exhibit was on display in the capital in August, and is now part of the London Design Festival.
Here are our 7 favourite pieces from this year’s entries (press ‘play’ on each):
1) Let’s Dance by Debjyoti Saha
Representing the ‘eclecticism’ that is traditional Indian music, this artwork is a homage to rhythm cycles, and sheds light on an important aspect of the Indian culture, that of its unique sounds and dances.
2) Hit the Street by Roshni Desai
Kites, paper boats, marbles and pitthu all evoke memories of childhood days in India, so this work is bound to make one nostalgic. The piece also expresses how interwoven our diverse nation is, and the bonds we form because of our roots.
The artist, Roshni Desai, explains “We have so many street games in India and strangely through the nexus of this country, it has spread in many different parts with variations of the same game having different names. I wonder how it happened though, did the children of India have a secret network? But that’s the idea behind this piece. Each letter represents a name in a different regional language of that game.”
3) Beautiful Decay by Manav Khadkiwala
Lord Shiva, also known as the creator and destroyer, is the most powerful god in Indian mythology. In his piece, Manav describes Shiva as no ordinary god whose mysterious ways can never be interpreted by earthly norms and definitions, performing multiple roles and wielding a mighty power over the universe, shaping and destroying it at will. His animated piece symbolizes a neon future where a glowing Shivling is found by an explorer as the earth terraforms in the background.
4. The Scent of Soil by Purvika Sharma and Surabhi Chowdhury
Inspired by the mountains and its people, this piece by Purvika and Surabhi brings out the relationship between the two, highlighting how the latter does so by living by the rules of the terrain and not imposing their rules upon it.
5. Open 24 x 7 by Ritu Chauhan
Detailing the spiritual angle that forms the base of India, Ritu Chauhan illustrates the coming together of natural elements – the sun, sea and mountains – with the symbolic blooming lotus. She portrays India as the land of ancient wisdom and the birthplace of spirituality, home to many communities driven by the purpose to spread the word of a life influenced by well-being. This poster captures the spiritual places of India, that are home to thousands of people who believe in restoring global community through inspiration and individual transformation.
6. Artful Romance by Devarshi Gohil and Tridib Maitra
This piece is a comment on the paradox that is ‘love’ and ‘romance’ in India. Devarshi Gohil and Tridib Maitra point out that monuments are built in the name of love here, and yet there is no place for lovers. “We have long associated gardens as a place for love to blossom, a place where love can exist for a little while if not an eternity. The visual depicts two lovers amidst a garden just existing. As time moves on and the skies change, they remain undisturbed almost frozen in embrace”, they say.
7. Land of a 1000 Toothy Smiles by Vibhav Singh
This artwork highlights the many colours and faces that is India, andd how there’s always a smile hidden in the chaos. This smile is symbolic of our ‘adjusting’ nature. “We haggle, we argue, we ‘scooch over’, and then we adjust with a smile. This artwork presents just that. The acceptance of our differences, yet blurring boundaries, sharing, smiling. Together”, he says.
There’s a lot more to expect from the young project. Kunel tells us, “The project is in an experiment phase, where we test new sensibilities in design when it’s applied to different mediums that are directly connected to India as a whole. Going forward we would like to make that focus sharper. Customising our approach to suit the medium.”
Expect to see more mini projects around print, signage, typography and technology in future from Animal. Until then, we recommend you scroll through the many other Indianama 2017 pieces. There’s a lot to be discovered.
Written by: Additi Seth
Featured image source: Designfabric