Exploring Indo-futurism through contemporary design culture
Bhuvana Sekar | Aalto University 2021 | Design Culture now course
This essay is an outcome of the submission through the course called Design Culture Now at Aalto University, School of Arts. As a personal exercise to open-up my own design-related practice and share what I’m learning in my Masters journey, I’ll be sharing some submissions, written experiments and some work-in-progress thought pieces for the medium community.
All feedback, critique and perspectives are welcome. ❤
21st-century India maintains an ingrained identity as a developing nation. Traumatised by its colonial history, the country is still in the shackles of many unseen post-colonial ideologies. Inspired by Afrofuturism, this essay explores an ‘Indofuture’ which is Indo-centric, decolonised, equitable and empowering.
This essay focuses on — How might contemporary design objects be used to dialogue Indofuturism in the post-colonial context?
Contemporary design objects that will be analysed :
- Kolams: Ritualistic handmade art in South India
- Enjoy Enjaami: Tamil folk-rap song | Dhee ft. Arivu | 2021
- Dabba System: Food delivery system | India
By analysing them through ‘Global Flows’, this essay demonstrates their practised cultures and interpretations in a postcolonial context and also inquires how certain ideologies that are colonial remnants or ideas that underpin colonialism still exist today. Finally, the essay also proposes a few elements for an inspiring and empowering Indo-future for its manifold diasporas.
How might contemporary design objects be used to dialogue Indofuturism in the post-colonial context?
Colonial Experience
India was colonised by the British Empire, for 200 years from the mid-1700s to mid-1900 when millions of Indians were shipped across the globe as indentured labour as a part of the colonial venture. Many Indian artisans, farmers and traders lost their independence and were labourers (Tharoor, S. 2018). 74 years later, 21st-century India is still in shackles of many unseen post-colonial ideologies, often expressed as hegemony, casteism, gender issues etc. (Parashar, S. 2018).
This has resulted in a prevailing sense of tension and gap between generations in terms of connection, identity and belonging. Other post-colonial communities also share similar experiences (Bill Ashcroft 2007). As articulated by Reese, H. (2018) who talks about Afrofuturism — when people’s cultures, languages and storytelling are lost, everything is taken from them. And here, Afrofuturism gives people a space to negotiate between the unresolved past and the future.
Inspired by this, this essay explores Indofuturism in spirit as a dialogue with India’s cultural history (Bandodkar, P. 2021) but differs in its approach by not re-imagining its past, but rather acknowledging it and critically analyzing contemporary design objects. Moreover, the intention of this approach is also to question prevalent post-colonial ideologies.
Decolonisation and Indofuturism
I find Decolonisation as a perfect pivot to venture into the topic of Indofuturism, as it involves deep-diving into indigenous history. By epistemically decoupling oneself from western frameworks and practices, decolonisation aims to have global diversity — each specific to its region and biosphere, rooted in the cosmologies and cultural mythos, concerned with defining its aims and identifying and addressing its problems and opportunities. (Ansari, A. 2018). The aim is to develop dissimilar ways of thinking and being derived from different worldviews, addressing many different needs and desires. (Ansari, A. 2018).
From this arc of reflection, I propose Indofuturism as an extension of Indigenous Futurism (Fricke, S. N. 2019) which looks at a range of futurism practices for different indigenous Peoples all over the world by applying their respective local cultural lenses and puts forward a “vision of the world entwined with indigenous values and cultures” (Fricke, S. N. 2019.
In this essay, Indofuturism will be explored via the medium of “contemporary culture and future” to look at issues directly rooted in colonialism or hidden post-colonial remnants.
The rationale for the chosen objects
The objects chosen in the essay are cultural, therefore intrinsically understood and connected with a set of social practices. These objects embody a shared, ‘taken-for-granted’ knowledge that is an essential element to what we call ‘culture’ (Gay, D et all, 2013). Additionally, the objects chosen are from different diasporas and hence demonstrate a varied cultural experience, and collective cultural dignity (Maasri, Z. 2020) and press the need to interpret Indufutrism as a complex concept via multiple objects and cultures. As pointed out by (Ansari, A. 2018), one can reach back to both historical understandings of past being and their changing nature in the present to point to a new futural state, which this essay demonstrates via the chosen objects.
Additionally, echoing the sentiment shared by (Sherese, 2012), where she questions the homogenised concept of technology and its use as an essential element in post-colonial futures without taking into account the complex context including embodied knowledge, interpretation of technology and the relationships to the local cosmology, values and beliefs — I have chosen objects that involve technology in their own ways, expanding to all high, low, digital, analogue or natural knowledge applications.
Interpreting Indofuturism through contemporary objects
#1) Kolams - Ritualistic handmade art in South India
Every day millions of women in South-India, wake up before dawn and create handmade art made out of rice flour at the thresholds of their homes and indulge in their private mindfulness practices. A tradition with unknown origins but first documented in the 13th century Tamil literature, the designs vary from simple designs to elaborate matrices.
They are usually made with fine rice or flour paste and have inspired several mathematical and cultural studies for their simplistic yet precise form. Creating beautiful visual and aromatic landscapes, Kolams are both individual and communal expressions that disappear at the end of the day due to natural, animal and human agencies interacting and walking over them. Perfect examples of social and cultural capital (Zhou, Z. 2020).
Culturally, they are drawn for many reasons like — starting the day by doing something positive, warding off the evil eye, welcoming people and auspiciousness and feeding many souls like the ants, and birds. Today the act has become both a method of production and consumption. With the patterns reaching far corners of the world via digital media, they have been commodified with materials like chalk, floor stickers, tools, washable ink, and colours and appropriated as interior decor, graphics, tattoos etc.
I explore Kolams as an Indofuristic expression because of several reasons. Breaking the complex colonial structures of gender boundaries, labour and power, today it is being practised not just by women but also men and people from all sexual spectrums (Mani, V). Many people are using kolams as a form of self-expression and provocative political activism as well (K, 2020). Also being used to reinterpret communal knowledge, women in a few places are creating kolam maps for visualising, understanding and discovering their communities’ business potential, all rooted in local and contextual dialogues.
However, kolams are also a reminder of many colonial ideologies existing in the form of casteism in the Indian diaspora, segregating people based on communal divisions. To truly step into an unprejudiced Indofuture, Kolams should become invitations, tools and expressions of equality. In this sense, its ephemerality is its greatest asset as it provides an opportunity for dialogue and creates avenues of exploration, community building and visual representations of community spirit.
#2) Enjoy Enjaami: Tamil folk-rap song | Dhee ft. Arivu | 2021
A global hit, “Enjoy Enjaami” is a Tamil folk-rap song from India, by artists Dhee and Arivu (Arivarasu) in Mar 2021, that narrates the artist Arivu’s grandmother Valliammal’s struggles as a landless female labourer during colonial times and reminds about the colonial ideologies of feudalism, genderism, labour exploitation, casteism and its manifestations.
Sung in folk Tamil, it has sparked some new discussions around linguistic alienation in post-colonial communities where cultural conventions (such as language) were forcibly replaced, causing struggles of adapting and feelings of inadequacy in supporting or representing their environments and contexts (Ashcroft, B. 2002).
Lyrically, the words ‘Enjoy Enjaami’ in the song are both metonymic and polysemic. The word ‘enjoy’ has not only become a catchphrase in popular media referring to the obvious English inference but has a deeper meaning. As sung in the strongly accented Tamil, the word sounds like ‘enjaaee’ which as supplied by the lyricist is a derivative of the colloquial phrase ‘en thaai’ as spoken in a dialect of a particular region, referencing to one’s mother.
The following word ‘enjaami’ also can be interpreted as “my darling” often spoken phonetically in the same way even today or as “en saami” or “my lord” — a term that was used to address a feudal lord, colonial master or British officers by Tamil-speaking slaves/labourers during the colonial period. And atrociously even today, by poor or landless Dalits, to address their upper-caste bosses to ask for their monthly wages or support (Kanna, 2021).
A production involving Tamil folk, hip-hop, rap, Oppari (a form of ululating sounds) and using the traditional instrument called the ‘Parai’, the song shines the light on the artist’s grandma and her counterparts and native agricultural people. And staying true to the political and activist themes of the song was distributed via open-source platforms known for fighting oppression by helping tell unheard stories (Anvi, A. 2021)
#3) Dabba System: Food delivery system | Mumbai, India
125 years old, food delivery service in Mumbai, India — the ‘Dabba’ system is an example of local innovation at its best, fulfilling the hunger of about 200,000 people by delivering them fresh, hot homemade lunches every day.
The heart of this system is its ‘Dabbawalas’, dressed in white cotton kurtas and traditional Gandhian caps, an institution and a cultural identity. They transport food using the local metros and bicycles, all while balancing trays on their heads that weigh ~150 pounds. A symbol of pride, and communal and national identity — they are a visual representation of cultural dignity and are responsible for the health of the city, literally.
The food packed in the coded ‘Dabba’ or tiffin box is an extension of the material culture of the boxes affecting its journey, form, function and order. Given that the food is homemade and prepared by spouses, families and other people — this system is produced and consumed at the micro-level (homes) and macro levels (cities, offices). One of the biggest reasons for the 99.9% delivery accuracy, despite the rudimentary setup, staggering quantity or exhaustive work, is the multiple stakeholders involved in running the system smoothly and democratically.
In this system, I see a contextual and Indocentric ingenuity resisting typical technological capitalism, yet a thriving example of sustainability. Today, new steps are being taken to transform the service into a trustworthy logistics and identity verification service provider to ensure benefits for people from far corners of the city. Building on the argument (Ansari, 2018), Dabba is an alternative to neocolonial free-market capitalism, embodying its unique concept of freedom, equality, justice, and choice on their terms.
For an Indofuture, where technology is just an enabler and not a requirement and different from existing colonial and capitalistic frameworks but based on local context and values.
However, still regulated by the traditional gender roles, a colonial times practice — this system to date involves exclusive participation of only men and especially those belonging to lesser-privileged or low-education backgrounds. To contribute to a radically prosperous, indigenous yet equitable Indofuture stemming from local culture and spirit — this system needs to include and empower people from all sexual and social spectrums.
Tying it together…
Constructing an equitable & empowering Indofuture
Indofuture is a vast subject and a very complex one. Given that the country has such a variety of post-colonial experiences, which are both shared and varied across different diasporas, it will be unfair to homogenise a concept or framework for the entire region.
Given that the country has such a variety of post-colonial experiences, which are both shared and varied across different diasporas, it will be unfair to homogenise a concept or framework for the entire region.
However, based on the 3 objects analysed, there are some glimpses of what could be elements of an Indofuture that’s equitable, empowering and inspiring:
- Acknowledging the past and history for all members, equally
- Recognizing and leveraging the cultural heritage and context
- Uncovering, respecting and engaging with embodied knowledge, customs, traditions
- Paying attention to the context in terms of post-colonial experiences that might be shared or different, simple or complex
- Understanding and critiquing current ideologies that are colonial remnants or fostering them
- Rediscovering indigenous knowledge and using or creating technology that is not bounded by current western epistemologies
so many more..
Conclusion
This essay is a creative outlet for my thinking about Indofuturism by investigating some contemporary objects, using the Circuit of culture framework (Gay et al., 1997). Given that I certainly have my blind spots, subjective biases, and limited perception of the many varied cultures in the country that this term ‘Indofuturism’ attempts to unfold for. Hence this essay might have some imperfections and is an idea in progress.
For the future, I am interested in exploring shared post-colonial experiences and differences within the Indian diaspora and draw patterns in the experiences of colonised communities and countries on a global scale.
Seeing inspiration from existing and upcoming post-colonial futurisms, I’m excited to see what projects, toolkits, frameworks or outcomes might emerge out of this topic.
References
Indian Colonial History
Tharoor, S. (2018). Inglorious Empire: what the British did to India (Reprint ed.) [E-book]. Scribe US.
Parashar, S. (2018, October 15). Hegemony and resistance in postcolonial India. https://doc-research.org/. https://doc-research.org/de/2018/10/hegemony-resistance-postcolonial-india/
Postcolonial, Indigenous & Indofuturism
Bandodkar, P. (2021, December). Bandodkar, Priya (2021) Activating Indofuturism: Applying a lens adapted from Postcolonial Futurisms. Masters thesis, OCAD University. Bandodkar, Priya. http://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/3312/
Ashcroft, B., Griffiths, G., & Tiffin, H. (1994). Post-Colonial Studies: The Key Concepts (Routledge Key Guides) 2nd (second) Edition by Ashcroft, Bill, Griffiths, Gareth, Tiffin, Helen published by Routledge (2007) (54679th ed.). Routledge.
Fricke, S. N. (2019). Introduction: Indigenous Futurisms in the hyperpresent now. World Art, 9(2), 107–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/21500894.2019.1627674
Afrofuturism
TEDx Talks. (2011, September 25). TEDxFortGreeneSalon — Ingrid LaFleur — Visual Aesthetics of Afrofuturism [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7bCaSzk9Zc&ab_channel=TEDxTalks
Ellis, Martinek, & Donaldson. (2018). Understanding the Past, Imagining the Future: Teaching Speculative Fiction and Afrofuturism. Transformations: The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship and Pedagogy, 28(1), 111. https://doi.org/10.5325/trajincschped.28.1.0111
Reese, H. (2018, February 27). How the Afrofuturism behind Black Panther and Get Out combines social justice and sci-fi. Vox.https://www.vox.com/conversations/2018/2/26/17040674/black-panther-afrofuturism-get-out
Sherese, V. A. P. B. (2012, August 14). What Is Afrofuturism? Part 12: The Mask As Technology. Sherese Francis: Futuristically Ancient. https://futuristicallyancient.com/2012/08/14/what-is-afrofuturism-part-12-the-mask-as-technology/
Decolonisation
Ansari, A. (2018, April 12). What a Decolonisation of Design Involves: Two Programmes for Emancipation. Https://Www.Decolonisingdesign.Com/. https://www.decolonisingdesign.com/actions-and-interventions/publications/2018/what-a-decolonisation-of-design-involves-by-ahmed-ansari/
Maasri, Z. (2020). Cosmopolitan Radicalism: The Visual Politics of Beirut’s Global Sixties (The Global Middle East, Series Number 13). Cambridge University Press.
Design Culture
Gay, D. P., Hall, S., Janes, L., Madsen, A. K., Mackay, H., & Negus, K. (2013). Doing Cultural Studies: The Story of the Sony Walkman (Culture, Media and Identities series) (Second ed.). SAGE Publications Ltd.
Zhou, Z. (2020, August 24). Aalto University — Design Culture now 2021 — Digging Up the Future [Video]. Aalto University. https://aalto.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Embed.aspx?id=5927cb44-4474-491c-b3aa-ac53009a4eec&v=1
References
Object 1: Kolams
Mani, V. (2020–01–15). Harvesting new gender roles. The New Indian Express. https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2020/jan/15/harvesting-new-gender-roles-2089568.html
K. (2020, August 12). Karthikeyan. dtNext.in. https://www.dtnext.in/News/TamilNadu/2020/08/12011847/1245397/Green-activists-in-State-organise-kolam-protests-against-.vpf
South India’s kolam art helps women map business opportunities. (2019, August 15). Https://Tribune.Com.Pk/. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2034343/south-indias-kolam-art-helps-women-map-business-opportunities
Object 2: Enjoy Enjaami song
Kanna, S. P. A. A. (2021, July 11). What Arivu’s “Enjoy Enjaami” Tells Us About the Cultural Resistance to Caste. The Wire. https://thewire.in/caste/what-arivus-enjoy-enjaami-tells-us-about-the-cultural-resistance-to-caste
Anvi, A. (2021, April 29). Enjoy Enjaami: Deconstructing The Politics Behind Arivu & Dhee’s Latest. Feminism In India. https://feminisminindia.com/2021/03/23/enjoy-enjaami-arivu-dhee-caste-politics/
Ashcroft, B. (2002). The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Post-Colonial Literatures (New Accents) (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Object 3: Dabba System
Mumbai Dabbawala. (2019). Https://Mumbaidabbawala.In/. https://mumbaidabbawala.in/
Bibliography
Parashar, S. (2018, October 15). Hegemony and resistance in postcolonial India. https://doc-research.org/. https://doc-research.org/de/2018/10/hegemony-resistance-postcolonial-india/
Woodrow, W. (2019). Engaging The Black Ethos: Afrofuturism as a Design Lens for Inclusive Technological Innovation. Journal of Futures Studies. https://jfsdigital.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/06-Winchester-Engaging-The-Black.pdf
Bandodkar, P. (2021, December). Bandodkar, Priya (2021) Activating Indofuturism: Applying a lens adapted from Postcolonial Futurisms. Masters thesis, OCAD University. Bandodkar, Priya. http://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/3312/
LibGuides: Postcolonial Theory in the 21st Century: Is the Past the Future or Is the Future the Past? (February 2021): Conclusion: The Future of Postcolonial Theory. (2021, February). Https://Ala-Choice.Libguides.Com/. https://ala-choice.libguides.com/c.php?g=1117036&p=8151919
Samyukhtha, S. (2021, September). Folk Sci-Fi: Artist Vimal Chandran’s Work Is A Glimpse Into The World of Indo-Futurism. Https://Homegrown.Co.In/. https://homegrown.co.in/article/805773/folk-sci-fi-artist-vimal-chandrans-work-is-a-glimpse-into-the-world-of-indo-futurism
Singh, A. (2021, December 15). Call for Entries on Indo-Futurism. India Future Society. https://indiafuturesociety.org/call-for-entries-on-indo-futurism/
Artworld Talk | Comparative Futurisms: Afro-Asian Perspectives. (2019, March 31). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2GY1SH70z0&ab_channel=ArtBasel
This essay is an outcome of the submission through the course called Design Culture Now at Aalto University, School of Arts. As a personal exercise to open-up my own design-related practice and share what I’m learning in my Masters journey, I’ll be sharing some submissions, written experiments and some work-in-progress thought pieces for the medium community.
All feedback, critique and perspectives are welcome. ❤
