Category: The Future Will Be Sown; Fibre, Timber & Possibilities

On a farmland along the banks of the River Kaveri in Southern India, a seemingly ordinary agricultural by-product presents a vital way to re-look at the world. At a time of environmental urgency, it seems fitting to propose a movement, a call for action, an invocation perhaps, to re-imagine worlds not by extracting from the environment but by honoring the delicate balance between nature and people, thereby nurturing our material cultures alongside the ecologies that surround us.At the heart of the installation is an immersive and sensorial landscape, simultaneously bold and serene. The visitor is invited to uncover the transformative power when the materials we harvest, the communities we know, and the stories that tie our region, come together.

The installation is in part an invitation to reflect on the idea of ‘sowing’, as an act of thinking ahead, cultivating meaningful relationships with one’s land and people. It is, in part, an invitation to work towards a world in symbiosis with plant fibers. And in part, it is a provoking proposition for all of us: let us sow before we build. Our futures call for regenerative growth, and climate-resilient practices. They can undeniably be sown, and collectively so, one seed, one stitch, and one story at a time.

The installation comes together in three parts:

‘a loofah landscape ’ in collaboration with Belavala Foundation. Working in tandem with the process of seed conservation, we utilise the fibres that are generated as a by-product. Sown, harvested, and stitched into glowing tapestries by the women and the men of the farm; this ordinary fibre, in the hands of ordinary people, witnesses an extraordinary transformation.

‘a coco bench’ in collaboration with BWS – Bram Woodcrafting Studio. The ubiquitous coconut timber from a region carpeted by coconut plantations, takes on a new form. Sourced and milled by Georg Leuzinger, this dense, fibrous and challenging wood is crafted into an exquisite piece at Bram’s workshop in Mysore.

‘possibilities’ in collaboration with the students of Sparkling Mindz Global School, Bangalore Rice husk, cane bagasse, wild seeds and leaf sheaths. Materials planted, foraged and by-products of agriculture; all go on a tactile, visual and emotional journey. Through a series of performative portraits, students explore the intangibles in ‘the future will be sown’.

Location: Dubai Design District, UAE
Commissioned by: Dubai Design Week and D3
Type Of Project: Art Installation
Date: 7th – 12th Nov 2023

Design & Production team: Shruthi Ramakrishna, Jeremie Gaudin, Agnimitra Bachi, Nikhita Ramdas, Kushal N, Kune Yatheesh

Materials & Techniques: Loofah, Coconut wood

Contractor/execution: Made in Earth Collective & Earthly Yours

Photography & Video: Dubai Art Festival Team & Shruthi Ramakrishna