Explore every episode of the podcast The Gyaan Project
Dive into the complete episode list for The Gyaan Project. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
Ep.303 - Importance of process in architecture with Hans Brouwer
11 sept. 2024
00:48:38
Introduction
Welcome to a new series, “Footprints of History”. The Drawing Board, with whom I am partnering for the 3rd consecutive year, brings this series to you. The Drawing Board is an international architecture competition based in India where students can test their understanding and skills in shaping how communities live and thrive while preserving local heritage. TDB has been actively running an Architecture competition for undergraduate students since 2016. It is conceptualised by Mindspace Architects and Rohan Builders. This year, which is the 9th edition of the competition, the design brief revolves around redesigning the Pathu Thoon Lane in Madurai (Tamil Nadu, India) also known as "10 Pillar Street”. This site is somewhere between the Meenakshi Temple and Thirumalai Nayakar Place. The design challenge is to restore and integrate the lane's cultural heritage, emphasizing these 10 pillars. The submission deadline is 16th September 2024. More details in the show notes and thedrawingboard.in
Ludwig Mies, the German-American architect, once said "Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space.” And this quote aptly describes our today’s guest. Hans Brouwer. Hans, originally from Hong Kong, is a distinguished architect with a global footprint. He studied architecture in Switzerland and the University of Southern California, where he graduated top of his class. Hans spent his early career with Sir Norman Foster, contributing to landmark projects like the Century Tower in Tokyo and Commerzbank Headquarters in Frankfurt. In 1995, he founded HB Design, later relocating to Singapore, and expanded to regional offices in Phuket and Bangkok. An award-winning architect, Hans also teaches at the National University of Singapore and frequently speaks at industry events.
Questions
What do you see when you see the 10 Pillar Street - as an architect and as a tourist or history lover? Which aspects stand out for you?
You have a strong emphasis on “the process”. You say this process is truly creative because the end is not known at the beginning. Can you unpack this for us?
At HB Design, you emphasize the importance of context and site in shaping architectural outcomes. How do you balance the need for innovation with the preservation of cultural heritage in a project?
You deeply engage with clients in the design process, how would you involve a community or stakeholders in a project like the restoration of Madurai’s Pathu Thoon Lane?
Assuming Designers or specialists are generally aware of the pros and cons of various solutions and living on tradeoffs. Given the expertise, what amount of community involvement is apt - because, if we go and ask people, they will want faster horses while the solution could be inventing a car.
I am very curious to know about BIM - What is building information modeling? How does it help in the process and over all practice at HB Design?
With BIM being such an integral part of HB Design’s process, how do you see technology aiding in the preservation and restoration of culturally significant sites?
You are working in South east Asia where we are seeing a lot of innovation with great emphasis on green infrastructure. What are a few trends in the technology and architecture industry which can be applied to this complex network of communities and historical 10 pillars?
In the future world if AI, which faculty should young architects need to build to accept or reject AI proposals assuming they have the analog context of climate change and other challenges? Especially with AI, machines can simulate and build imaginary landscapes and more…
Ep.302 - Pillars of the Past and Present with Uday Andhare
03 sept. 2024
00:45:38
Introduction
Welcome to a new series, “Footprints of History”. This series is brought to you by, The Drawing Board, with whom I am partnering for the 3rd consecutive year. The Drawing Board is an international architecture competition based in India where students can test their understanding and skills in shaping how communities live and thrive while preserving local heritage. TDB has been actively running an Architecture competition for undergraduate students since 2016. It is conceptualised by Mindspace Architects and Rohan Builders. This year, the 9th edition of the competition, the design brief revolves around redesigning the Pathu Thoon Lane in Madurai (Tamil Nadu, India) also known as "10 Pillar Street”. This site is somewhere between the Meenakshi Temple and Thirumalai Nayakar Place. The design challenge is to restore and integrate the lane's cultural heritage, emphasizing these 10 pillars. The submission deadline is 16th September 2024.
Today’s episode is called, “Pillars of Past and Present”. I am pleased to have Architect Uday Andhare with us on Audiogyan. Uday has been a design principal at Indigo Architects since 1998. He holds a degree from CEPT University and the University of New Mexico. Uday advocates for technically appropriate and ecologically sensitive architecture, blending traditional wisdom with modern design. Uday teaches at CEPT University while leading his firm in Ahmedabad. He has drawn diverse experiences during his internships with B.V Doshi and while working in the USA.
Questions
What do you see when you see these 10 pillars on Pathu Thoon Lane? Which aspects stand out for you from an Intent, Material, and Context point of view?
The Getty Podcast - B.V. Doshi said, “Is Architecture defined by theory or it’s a convention, or it is something which is rooted in the place?” What are the potentialities of such a project? Do you consider it be a restoration project or conservation or anything else?
You have consciously chosen friendlier materials in your projects at Indigo. If one has to restore or build things around the pillars, would you build with new materials and new technology or continue with existing materials or the same fabric?
What are the few anchor points of traditional Indian architecture that still hold relevance today? (More meta)
Likewise, what are the few enduring aspects of Indian architecture that can inform students in this project?
Your Philosophy is “search for contemporary rootedness in this ever-changing environment”. How do you spot it? What are the key parameters on which this search happens?
For you, every new project feels like your first. How can any practicing architect or any creative individual maintain this fresh perspective, this outlook/worldview?
Which faculty would young architects need to build for the future digital world? Especially with AI, machines can simulate and build imaginary landscapes and more… What will make architects accept or reject AI proposals assuming they have the analog context of climate change and other challenges?
Ep.301 - The Paper Ark case study with Nayan Shrimali and Venus Bird
28 août 2024
00:47:09
Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “We should be a mirror of being: we are God in miniature.”. I Had Srijan Jha in Ep. 258 on “How mini can a miniature art be’ and a case study of ‘Green humor’ with Rohan Chakravarty in Ep.253. And today’s episode is an amalgamation of both. Today’s guests do a lot of work in the realm of nature in miniature.
I am pleased to have Nayan Shrimali & Venus Bird (earlier known as Vaishali). They are the duo who run the “The Paper Ark”, store, project - we’ll find out soon.
Nayan is a furniture and interior design graduate from NID, Ahmedabad. He now works full-time as a paper cut artist. Venus holds a diploma in animation and visual effects, she brings life into these objects through colors. They both are from Ahmedabad.
Questions
What is The Paper Ark? How did you start and why? What initially drew you both to miniature papercutting and specifically to birds and animals as your subjects? The "1000 Days of Birds" series is a remarkable feat! How did the concept for such a long-term project come about, and how did you two stay motivated throughout?
Does this art form have a rich history in various cultures? Do you have a specific name for the style of papercutting you practice? Are there specializations?
How can one get into this? For aspiring artists interested in papercutting, what basic skills or knowledge do you think are most important to develop?
Given the intricate detail, can you give us a rough estimate of how long it typically takes to create one of your miniature artworks?
What is it about working in miniature that appeals to you? Is it the focus on detail, the challenge of working small, or something else?
In your collection, you have a wide variety of birds and animals. Do YOu also have various themes such as ‘Rare’, and ‘Pollinator project’? How do you decide which subjects to create miniature paper cuttings of? How do you start and what is the process like?
As successful artists selling your work online, have you encountered any specific challenges in marketing or running a business focused on miniature paper cutting?
Can you share some insights into your tools and materials? Are there any specific types of paper or cutting implements that you find essential for creating your miniature objects?
It's fascinating that your primary audience is overseas! What do you think attracts international collectors to your work?
What is the future? Any new series, themes, or techniques you'd like to explore? Where and how can people collaborate?
Ep.300 - Audiogyan's 300th episode with Kedar Nimkar
21 août 2024
00:46:16
John Pathrose interviews me in this 300th Episode. The Host becomes the guest. John is an old friend and a media professional. The following topics were covered in our conversation.
Power of Design
What is design (your definition)?
What is the impact of design (beyond visual – socio/economic/political)?
What is the current opportunity in the design world – past, current, or future?
How would you pitch ‘the world of design’ to someone – why is it exciting?
Three favorite design moments
Power of Knowledge
What are your top 3 learnings through Audiogyan
Share some aahaa moments during your conversations
How has this helped you?
Role of knowledge in a ‘fake it till you make it’ world
Spoke to 300 knowledgeable people – what is the commonality amongst them (attitude/ qualities/ aptitude)
Power of Passion
What does passion mean to you - and how has it influenced your Audiogyan journey?
How do you maintain and nurture your passion over time, especially when faced with obstacles or setbacks? How do you keep the energy high?
In your opinion, what are the signs that someone is passionate about something – how do you apply this in your professional life?
How do you think passion differs from mere interest or enthusiasm, and why is it important? What advice would you give to someone who is struggling to find their passion or purpose in life?
Have you ever had to make a decision that required you to choose between your passion and a more practical or secure option? How did you approach that decision?
Ep. 299 - Architecture as a Citizen with James Inedu George
23 juil. 2024
00:42:45
We're delving into the exciting yet complex world of African architecture, with a particular focus on Nigeria. We'll explore trends that hold valuable lessons for India, a nation grappling with similar challenges. Nigeria is experiencing rapid urbanization, with the urban population projected to reach over 200 million by 2050. A significant portion of this urban population lives in slums and informal settlements due to housing shortages. Many urban areas lack proper infrastructure like sanitation and water supply.
We discuss all this from a Designer’s lens, I have James Inedu George with me on Audiogyan. James is one of the most eminent and influential West Africa architects and designers of recent decades recognized for his innovative approach to solving complex urban challenges, and most famously his brilliance with space and design. He is the founding partner and Design Lead at HTL Africa Ltd, Tao South Africa, and HTL Asia Plus, which works on projects around the world and is widely considered “among the most significant in contemporary architecture”.
Questions
Why and how does architecture empower people?
What do you mean when you say, “Buildings become citizen”? You also say, architecture should become land pads. Tell us more about it?
What are metro houses? What are some successful examples of involving local communities in the planning and construction process for metro housing projects in Nigeria or around the world? yes, it’s innovative and radical but are their any proof of concepts?
What is the main reason that government choses to provide housing and not land? Is it easy to manage given the state capacity?
What makes you believe in so decentralised and democratic way of thinking in Africa or Nigeria? Can you share examples of successful projects that bridge the gap between urban centers and rural communities in Nigeria?
India’s per capita GDP is 2.4K USD and Nigeria’s is 2.1K. Nigeria’s literacy rate is also almost in the similar range of 75-78%. What gives you hope that Mama Ya Bo, she generates employment, produce energy, distributes, build stuff for future generations and become part of the main economy?
Can you unpack the word Affordacity in context of architecture, urban design and planning?
In your TED talk, you said, ‘cities are dying’. In India, especially the financial capital, Mumbai, we see a lot of ghost buildings where they are either not in use or built illegally. With the city growing vertically and no land to build, What would be your advice to repurpose architecture.
Cities are economic power hubs where people migrate for better life and opportunities. But few thinkers in India believe that life is truly in small towns and villages. How do you see this as a designer and urban planner?
Can you share few tips for young designers who wish to get into this profession of architecure?
When you see all problems, I can understand that you see opportunity. But being a designer, you also see solutions. Tell us more to wrap this episode. What insights have you got as a designer?
Ep. 298 - Responsibilities of a Designer with Daniel Burka & Shreyas Satish
11 juin 2024
01:03:08
This is the last episode of the #designersdigest series where we have Daniel Burka and co-host Shreyas Satish.
We talk about blurring lines between product and design, the importance of being a generalist in design, and the role of product managers in the design process.
This series is created by Audiogyan in partnership with @godrejdesignlab
Designer's Digest series is about Design as a profession, its daily grind, the secrets to climbing the design career ladder, and what edge we’ll need to thrive in the captivating world of design.
Daniel is the director of product and design at the not-for-profit Resolve to Save Lives, where he spends most of his time on the open-source project, Simple. Simple is used by thousands of hospitals in India, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia to manage over 2 million patients with hypertension and diabetes.
He is on the board of Laboratoria, a not-for-profit based in Peru helping Latin American women build successful careers in tech. In 2021, Daniel also started the open-source Health icons project to provide free icons to healthcare projects around the world. He is also a member of Adobe's Design Circle, which grants scholarships to a diverse group of designers each year. Previously at Google Ventures as a Design Partner, Co-founder of Milk.inc and SiverOrange, and more…
Questions
At RTSL, You’re a Director of both Product and Design. How do you distinguish between the two verticals daily, especially concerning concerns and metrics?
Who is a Product manager and who is a designer according to you? Who according to you is supposed to focus on defining the right problem and then crafting the perfect solution? How blurred are these lines? What are the primary differences if I may ask?
Seems like a designer can become a PM. Can it be the other way around? This is in the context of a few hard skills.
A PM is torn between a thousand things from business to analytics and many other things. How can designers venture into this role? Also, can you steelman the case for a designer to become a PM?
In a lot of companies, tech and design functions are both product reports, while in many these are separate verticals. In your experience what works best and when?
One criticism of product managers, by folks like Marty Cagan, is that product managers often function as project managers. What in your view should a product manager focus on bringing to the table?*
Designers in their romantic vision want to solve problems for all users. While Product folks go after those getting the dollars. Can you give any example from your experience where you have balanced it elegantly? What did it take?
One death is a tragedy while a thousand deaths are statistics. How do you see this in the world of Product managers obsessed with data over real emotions? This is specifically for your work in healthcare.
Some companies Like Airbnb have evolved their org structures to have Product Marketing Managers and Apple of course has Program Managers who report to a Product Director. Do you have a framework to think about organizational design with product teams, of course, knowing that different organizations have designed differently based on what they are focused on?
What do you consider the key responsibilities of a product designer? Again, from tiny startups to large MNCs*
You work on Simple, which is of course, primarily focused on creating impact. Can you talk a little bit about what it’s like designing for social impact compared to increasing market share or profitability? In a digital landscape, how can we ensure our products create real value and positive impact beyond just solving problems?
What is the future of Product Managers and Designers in the AI world? What does the career ladder look like? What skills do we acquire for the future of WWW?
Ep. 297 - Design in India with Chandrashekhar Wyawahare
04 juin 2024
01:23:03
Tune into this 9th episode of a 10-part series, "Designer’s Digest” with Chandrashekhar Wyawahare. We talk all about Industrial Design, Make in India, and the skills required to become an Industrial Designer.
This series is in partnership with @godrejdesignlab. Designer's Digest series is about Design as a profession, its daily grind, the secrets to climbing the design career ladder, and what edge we’ll need to thrive in the captivating design world.
When you look at Braun or any industrial product designed by Dieter Rams, whether it’s the Braun T4 Radio designed in 1960 or the T2 Table lighter designed in 1968. Undoubtedly, you’ll fall in love with the form factor and the simplicity. Industrial design has always been fascinating.
Chandrashekhar Wyawahare, co-founder of Futuring. Chandrashekhar graduated in architecture with a master’s in industrial design from IDC in IIT Mumbai. Before co-founding Futuring, he worked in Europe with leading design studios. His work in Neumeister Design exposed him to a fine sense of styling and helped him develop a keen eye for perfection. Chandrashekhar has been subsequently responsible for a strikingly wide range of work from appliances to transportation design. He is a keen educator and has been on design juries at many architecture and design schools. Futuring sees Industrial Design as a dynamic, empathetic, and strategic process.
Questions
Who is an industrial designer? It has a wide canvas, specializing in multiple sub-disciplines. But what is the core of being an industrial designer? Or being a designer for that matter?
How has the landscape of industrial design evolved in India? What were the biggest transitions you’ve witnessed, and how did Futuring adapt?
Make in India is now a buzzword. Where are you on that? Should it be designed in India or made in India? Are we ready for it?
In an era of mass production and globalization, what does it mean to be an "Indian" industrial designer? What Indian ethos do you think we can bring to the products we design or make?
By the very definition of industrial products, it’s safe to say that it’s mass produced. Can mass-manufactured products truly be "high quality"? What compromises are typically made, and how can we advocate for better quality standards in Indian design?
Consumerism often drives design trends. How do you balance aesthetics, user-centricity, and sustainability, and yet be cost-sensitive for a market like India?
You have a keen interest in education and have been on jury panels in top design schools in India. What’s happening in new-age India and how is the talent gearing towards entering the workforce? From skill to gender diversity to leveling up for actual work.
How do you spot talent for Futuring? What gives you the confidence to recruit designers? What do you look for in their work/portfolios?
You often speak about Industrial design one needs a good tech background, be it engineering or architecture. What does the Industrial designer’s career ladder look like? From a new entrant to say, being a principal designer?
What one piece of advice do you get from your mentor that you still practice? What advice to young designers?
What according to you is the future of industrial design in India? Perhaps in the world of automation and meta-verse.
Ep. 296 - Automobile design as a career with Akanksha Sethi
29 mai 2024
00:55:34
Tune into this 8th episode of a 10-part series, "Designer’s Digest” with Akanksha Sethi.
This series is in partnership with @godrejdesignlab. Designer's Digest series is about Design as a profession, its daily grind, the secrets to climbing the design career ladder, and what edge we’ll need to thrive in the captivating design world.
Starting with a few numbers collected from SIAM, (Society of Indian Automobile Manufactures) and the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA)
Over 4.4 million vehicles were produced in India in 2022-23.
We’ve around 10 Big players in the Automobile industry, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors, Honda Cars India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Renault India, MG Motor India, Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto.
India ranks as the fourth-largest passenger vehicle market worldwide.
1.2% of cars sold in India were EVs. However, as per ETAuto, EV sales are rapidly growing, with a 230% increase.
The Indian government aims to achieve 30% EV penetration by 2030 through various initiatives and policies.
To discuss all this and Automobile Design as a career in India... Akanksha Sethi joins us. Akanksha has been a Colors, Materials, and Finish Design, Group lead at Maruti Suzuki for the past 13 years. She did her Bachelor of Design from the National Institute of Fashion Technology. Before joining Maruti Suzuki, she had worked at Amrapali Jewels and Titian Industries.
Questions
Who is an automobile designer? What are the sub-disciplines within it? You deal with Colors, Material, and Finish. Tell us more about it. What do you do when it deals with CMF?
How does one grow in a career in automobile design? Can you describe the career ladder for automobile designers in India? What are the typical milestones, changes of responsibilities, and challenges at each stage?
What is the difference when they say, “Manufactured in India” versus “Assembled in India”? How and where do designers from India fit in this setup? What goes when collaboration happens - Suzuki + Maruti or Hero and Honda?
What are some of the most iconic or impactful car colors or materials and finishes you've been part of in your career? What makes them special?
What defines the success of a good color for a car?
How do we define a good, reliable, and safe material? What are checks and tests done to test materials?
How have the skills required for automobile design changed after liberalization (1990)? Or maybe when Maruti 800 came on the market in 1983?
What new skills are becoming increasingly important, especially in the context of electric vehicles and sustainable technologies when we talk about CMF?
What are the major trends and challenges that are shaping and will shape the industry in the coming decades when it comes to CMF?
In this 10-part series, I have 4 woman designers and you are one of them. As per the D’Source repository, only 2 women designers out of 19 Automotive designers in India. Can you talk a little bit about gender diversity within the automobile design industry? What unique challenges have you faced being a Women Designer in the Automobile / Man’s world? What advice would you like to give young designers entering the Automobile Design world?
Ep. 295 - Woman Graphic Designers with Ruchita Madhok
21 mai 2024
01:02:46
Tune into this 7th episode of a 10-part series, "Designer’s Digest” with Ruchita Madhok. Audiogyan creates this series in partnership with @godrejdesignlab
Designer's Digest series is about Design as a profession, its daily grind, the secrets to climbing the design career ladder, and what edge we’ll need to thrive in the captivating design world.
Ruchita has been a guest on episode 159, named “Designing a Visual Guide”. The poetry of everyday life inspires her. Through the mediums of cyanotype printmaking and drawing, she explores the conversations between nature, the cosmos, and the inner self. An award-winning communication designer, Ruchita brings a passion for print, photography, and illustration to her work as she plays with words and images to create works of art, books, and zines. Ruchita is the Founder and Director of Kahani Designworks and built Storycity, Imaginative books, maps, and guides for curious people.
We talk about what it means to be a graphic designer, in India, as a woman, and how you grow as a designer, many things to unpack.
Questions
Who is a graphic designer? What's the job? You engage yourself in Poetry, Literature, and many other things beyond design. How critical it is for any creative endeavor?
How do you see growth in this discipline? What does an entry-level designer do in Graphic Design? A person with 30-40 years of experience like Paula Scher or Milton Glaser - Will they be still hands-on like a performing artist? How do you see the graphic design career ladder?
I understand that Design has many aspects, including communication, solving problems, and more… Particularly in graphic design, it’s communication, right? What is making you move (or have moved you) from Graphic Design and infographics to ‘art’ and more niche sort of storytelling? Why have you started exploring cyanotype printmaking and more?
Kahani Studioworks and StoryCity believe in collaboration? Do you hire? What do you seek in people with whom you hire or collaborate?
How does your trio identity as an Indian woman, a designer, and now an artist influence your artistic style and perspective?
Do you see a distinct thread running through your work that speaks about your Identity or Indian-ness? How do you harness it to give it a personality or avoid it stereotyping your work? What would you share as a tip/advice for young designers?
Do you think your design work / or art needs to impact society? Should it influence fellow and young designers? You have been taking a lot of workshops and are interested in education. Tell me a little bit about it?
Ethical practices and sustainable design choices are now becoming mainstream buzzwords. Where are you on that and what are your principles in this dynamic world of Graphic Design?
In today's digital age, where people have been looking to increase the number of followers on social media, what advice would you give to Indian Designers (especially women)? What do they chase? What can make their work stand out or be impactful in this noisy world? How long can it take to find one’s voice?
The design field is vast and multifaceted. How would you encourage Indian women designers to explore their unique strengths and passions to find their niche within the industry?
Ep. 294 - Role of the Creator in Games with Dhruv Jani
15 mai 2024
01:20:27
Tune into this 6th episode of a 10-part series, "Designer’s Digest” with Dhruv Jani.
This series is created by Audiogyan in partnership with @godrejdesignlab
Designer's Digest series is about Design as a profession, its daily grind, the secrets to climbing the design career ladder, and what edge we’ll need to thrive in the captivating world of design.
Dhruv Jani joins us on Audiogyan as we talk about the role of the creator in the world of Game Design. Dhruv Jani is an artist at, and the founder of the independent game studio: Oleomingus. He studies postcolonial writing and interactive fiction and explores the use of video game spaces as possible sites of protest and reparation.
Questions
What does a game designer do? What does it mean to be a game designer? How can one become a game designer? What skills are required? Which other professions are required while designing a game?
Can you give a quick snapshot of how games came into existence and how they evolve into today’s video games and mobile games? A short history of sorts?
What are the broad categories/genres of games and which ones do you deal with? What’s special about your genre?
Your games often start with a narrative. What comes first when you think of a game? An event, a discovery of the past or a speculation of the future? An event? Where and how does any of your game start for Oleomingus?
What has politics to do with games? Is it because you have to pick a side? Is the game a Western concept for India? India has been a land of compassion, inclusivity, and forgiveness.
You call games to be Interactive fiction. Narrative interface design. What can and can not be told using games? Where does the medium flourish and where does it break?
Games have certainly evolved and come a long way. Now, I guess it’s the biggest industry on this planet. The games I recently got to know were Werewolves and Mafia and somehow the theme seems to be based on trust. What’s going on? How do you see it impacting the new generation and society at large?
Games are highly addictive, why? Which ingredient makes it addictive? Who is supposed to design it? Can you explain with an example of how the process happens?
Given the power of games, what’s the biggest responsibility of game designers?
Where are we heading as game players and game makers in this world of meta-verse and AI?
Ep. 293 - Pushing the boundaries of design with Saif Faisal
07 mai 2024
00:52:37
Tune into this 5th episode of a 10 Part series, "Designer’s Digest” with Saif Faisal, A new breed of bold Contemporary designer and founder of SFDW
This series is created by Audiogyan in partnership with @godrejdesignlab
Designer's Digest series is about Design as a profession, it’s daily grind, the secrets to climbing the design career ladder, and what edge we’ll need to thrive in the captivating world of design.
Massimo Vignelli’s once said, “If you can design one thing, you can design everything.” Even in our part of the world, somewhere in 15 hundred.. Mirza Khan Abdul Rahim once said, “Ek sadho, sab sadhe”..
Saif completed his training as an Architect from RV School of Architecture in 2010-11, alongside designing and participating in Formula SAE-Racing with the Mechanical engineering students at the college, where he acquired diverse experience in design, manufacturing, and technical know-how. After college, he went on to learn woodworking. These diverse formative explorations gave him a polymathic learning experience.
His work draws heavily from his understanding of Anthropology, Processes, and Technology, which is very integral to his creative explorations. The deep appreciation he cultivated of ‘Essentialism’ from racing is revisited in his Design and Architecture.
Saif is involved in guest lectures and talks at design and architecture schools. Apart from being an avid motorcyclist and a lover of cafe racers, he is into boxing and pursues his culinary interests rather seriously.
Questions
You’ve done architecture, lifestyle products, furniture, jewelry, accessories and more. How do you define your work? You also have diverse interests, from motorcycling to boxing and cooking. How do these pursuits influence your creative process?
Who according to you is a designer? You talk about “Essentialism” - What is the essential quality to become a designer?
What is the difference between Essentialism and Minimalism according to you? Is Essentialism more inclusive than minimalism? Lets take Loup of example.
You draw inspiration from sociology, philosophy, and anthropology. How do these disciplines inform your understanding of the human experience, and how does that translate into products you create? Any example of a product you made?
If I can take the liberty to say, Art is expression while design is functional, responding to a problem. Where and how do you see art and design lines blurring, given your work deals with higher levels of aesthetics.
Why do you call wood to be a humble material? What did you learn in wood work? What made you consider learning that? How can it help any designer interested in making physical products?
Do you see geometric forms as a universal language? Do you see that in Indian history or culture? How have you borrowed this universal language and contextualised for India? May be you can explain with the lamps that you have made?
Where are you on Massimo Vignelli’s quote, “If you can design one thing, you can design everything.” How comfortable the journey has been to switch domains? What advice would you give anybody who has such wide range of interests? or does one need to master something before traversing?
You often talk about Indian design education need to level up. Our work needs to appeal to a global audience. What do you mean exactly? Where are the gaps? What can be done about it?
We have often seen us using Jugaad as one of the primary methods of innovation. What is you take on that?
What do you wish from the new “Make in India” generation? How can they push the boundaries of design?
Ep. 292 - Maximise to minimise with Chitra Vishwanath
01 mai 2024
00:56:29
Tune into this 4th episode of a 10 Part series, "Designer’s Digest” with @chitrav89 (Chitra Vishwanath) - Principal Architect and Managing Director of BIOME Environment Solutions (@biomearchitecture)
This series is created by Audiogyan in partnership with @godrejdesignlab
Designer's Digest series is about Design as a profession, it’s daily grind, the secrets to climbing the design career ladder, and what edge we’ll need to thrive in the captivating world of design.
Chitra Vishwanath is an Indian architect based in Bengaluru who works on themes related to ecology and architecture. She has been running her own architectural firm since 1991, working with other architects on many projects of all sizes. She is currently the Principal Architect and Managing Director of BIOME Environment Solutions. She firmly believes that the true essence of a remarkable firm lies in the gradual fading of its founder's individual prominence. The establishment of a firm is influenced not only by the founder's drive but also by various contextual factors. Chitra cannot be solely identified as Chitra Vishwanath without acknowledging the integral role of Biome. Similarly, Biome's existence in its current capacity is inseparable from the contributions of her colleagues. BIOME has been involved in more than 700 projects encompassing the construction of buildings of all sizes and water harvesting and sanitation structures with specific relevance to the ecology of the sites. With earth as a basic material input in construction, BIOME has designed and built many structures. We’ll be talking about ecological architecture in today’s episode.
Questions
We often use “architect” as a word who guides, designs, and oversees. Etymologically as well, it’s derived from arkhi-, chief + tekton, builder - chief builder. Who according to you is an architect?
What constitutes an ecological architecture? Could you talk about the 4 aspects of architecture from your TEDx talk, resourceful spaces, designing construction systems, water and waste management? Maybe by taking an example of one of the many schools you have built.
What is Maximise to minimize? Good design is no design at all, right? How do you strive to create a positive impact while building structures? What are the key principles and values you live by?
What should be / can be the index/metric of good ecological architecture? Why?
What according to you is the biggest role of architects in India, given the current time?
Over the last 31 years, you have grown to 31 member strong team. Seems a conscious choice to stay lean. Why?
You have a lot of Junior architects on the team. What are their primary job responsibilities?
For Biome, every project is a test bed for developing a collaborative multidisciplinary approach grounded in informed decisions. How does Biome onboard, execute, and deliver any project? Where and how are Junior architects involved? What do you expect from them?
What according to you is a good measure of an ecologically sensitive outlook in a student or junior architect entering this field of architecture?
What kind of architects do we need for India’s future? What tips/suggestions would you like to give young architects?
Ep. 291 - Designing beyond Earth with Susmita Mohanty
24 avr. 2024
01:14:50
This is the 3rd episode of a 10 Part series, "Designer’s Digest” with Dr. Susmita Mohanty, an Indian spaceship designer and a serial space entrepreneur. This series is created in partnership with Godrej Design Lab - a platform that encourages and advances design excellence and exploration. Godrej Design Lab believes in the power of design to make a meaningful change. I am so happy and proud that Godrej Design Lab is supporting the journey of Audiogyan.
Designer's Digest is a series about Design as a profession, it’s daily grind, the secrets to climbing the design career ladder and what edge we’ll need to thrive in the captivating world of design.
I want to start with a line by Vincent Van Gogh, “For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream”.
Questions
Can we start by, who is a spaceship architect or a designer? Can you also elaborate on the 3 genres of space architects [Voyage d’Esprit, Man-in-a-Can, Trans-Gravity]? Where and how do designers fit in?
What does it take to become a spaceship designer or an architect? If you can share your version of a career? What does one do in their early years and then possibilities as they become a veteran like you? Design is broadly about problem solving and we see a lot of lateral entrants. Is it possible in this discipline?
You’ve said, traditionally government agencies tend to design in a very engineering centric approach where they don’t invite architects, designers to build stuff. With designers engaging in such space, collaboration with other professionals like physicists, engineers, biologists, seems inevitable. What are the challenges and rewards of such interdisciplinary teamwork?
Importance of multidisciplinary. You’ve straddled across design, art, tech, humanities, choreography. What was it like growing in Ahmedabad in 70-80
What are the unique challenges and opportunities in this sector for a designer? You mentioned about designing spaceship interiors for long distance travel, spacesuits to keep away from sharp dust on other planets, especially on the moon. Climate is another important domain to look into.
What all sections of the rocket or a spacecraft (For eg: Soyuz, I loved the video) could be given to designers? Where all design interventions can be done?
What made you start Earth2Orbit and later Spaceport Sarabhai and what exactly you folks do there? Can you share any specific project or a milestone that made you very hopeful about this it having a huge potential in India?
Considering costs, policies and constraints of this highly guarded sector, what makes your hopeful about brewing design talent in India? Can you slightly talk more about your 2017 article “India is sitting on a space goldmine”?
You often say, “space is not just about technology. It’s also about business, social impact, geopolitics and more about perspective. Could you please elaborate on it from a designer’s lens?
You often encourage entrepreneurs to look earth from 400km above. After working closely with such great organisations like ISRO, NASA, ESA what has been your biggest learning so far.
Ep. 290 - Design leadership in startups with Hardik Pandya
16 avr. 2024
01:59:36
This is the second episode of a 10 Part series, "Designer’s Digest” with Hardik Pandya, Sr. VP of Design at Unacademy Group. This series is about Design as a profession, it’s daily grind, the secrets to climbing the design career ladder and what edge we’ll need to thrive in the captivating world of design.
I have a co-host with me, Shreyas Satish. He is the founder of ownpath.com, ownpath is a platform for designers to upskill, find community, and unlock exciting opportunities, and also helps companies grow their design teams. I had Shreyas as a guest in episode 218 when I did a series “Where are the designers” talking to 12 top influential Design leaders from India.
And for today’s episode which is also my domain of designing Digital products, we have a perfect guest and a common friend, Hardik Pandya. He is a Design leader with an innate love for building products with good design. Currently He is a Senior Vice President, Design of The Unacademy Group. Previously a Design Lead at Google Search, G Suite and Google Cloud, Ola and more.
Questions
How did you get into Design? You are a lateral entrant? What were early days like?
Can you walk us through your journey towards being a lead designer? Were there things that came fairly naturally, like taking ownership and initiative, and were things you had to deliberately learn?
In No Career Conversations in Isolation, you write “The way to get to the work you want to be doing in the future is earning the trust of your manager. Are there any stories or examples you can share where earning that trust unlocked the opportunity you were looking for?
Now that you are heading teams, how does your typical day look like? Do you happen to work hands-on still?
From where and how do you hire? Do you look for talent laterally? How do you spot talent? Junior / nerdy / geeky / high end colleges / pedigree? Is hiring a gamble?
What are some traits you look for when you’re hiring a senior designer? How do you actually tell if they possess those traits?
What are some common mistakes you see designers make with portfolios?
Who have been your best hires and why? Which background did they come from?
A lot of hiring conversations tend to be very backward looking i.e the work they’ve done, the situations they’ve been in and so on. But, I believe the real alpha, especially from a company’s point of view is being able to gauge what they can do in the future. What’s your take on this and how do you try to identify potential in designers?
What skills do you expect from designers for the future in the world of AI?
Ep. 289 - Measure of good designers with Ayaz Basrai
10 avr. 2024
01:19:39
This is the first episode of a 10 Part series, "Designer’s Digest”. This series is about Design as a profession, it’s daily grind, the secrets to climbing the design career ladder and what edge we’ll need to thrive in the captivating world of design.
He is the founder of The Busride Studio based in Goa and Mumbai along with his brother Zameer. Ayaz Graduated in Industrial Design, specialising in Product Design from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad in 2003. Ayaz studio ‘The Busride’ as an independent Design Studio specialising in the design and creation of environments, ranging from Hospitality, Entertainment venues, Film and Production to Exhibitions and temporary installations, and more.
Questions asked in the episode
Who according to you is a designer? You have been questioning this a lot.
What according to you is a role of a designer when they mature in their practice. Do the lines blur with art and then things become political or social in nature?
You have been engaging with very young talent like Prathmesh Jaju and others. Whats the reason for going so wide in our interest areas? How does it enrich your practice?
Eliel Saarinen’s famous line, “Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context - a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan." What’s your take on it? Is it a pyramid kind of a thinking?
You have been tinkering a lot with rizhomatic thinking? Tell us a little bit about it. Does the other node need to have equally good to understand the larger context context to pass it on?
You talk about intergenerational kindness by giving the Oxford examples. What is it and how can that be practised by us who are future ancestors?
What is India Futures Project? Why do you engage in speculative fiction from a designer’s lens? Why create these future looking narratives? Are there instances of this done in the past of which we, inadvertently, we are part of? How real these narratives were back then, if any?
You have an article about placeless-ness. What provokes you to think of these future spaces while we are still having cows and camels on the road. Would you venture into these 15 minute cities or explore shapes and forms of cities in the meta-verse? On which principles of foundations these exploration happen?
We are looking at how AI in the cradle is smiling at us. What kind of skills do Centaur Designers will need to have?
How would designers of the future look like? Not just in the software and industrial realm but textile, graphics, interiors and so on…
Ep. 288 - What is Plork? with Nitesh and Sonal (7th Anniversary)
27 déc. 2023
01:41:01
Einstein once said “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” He also said, “Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.” Why I am talking about this? In today’s episode, we’ll documenting all about Play and Work.
For this, we have Nitesh Mohanty and Sonal Choudhary with us on Audiogyan. Nitesh is a Educator, Photographer, Art Director, Writer, Curator. A JJ and Bombay boy, now in Goa. He did his post-gard from NID, Ahmedabad, specialising in Textile Design. Sonal is a Visual Communication Designer, Writer, Educator. We’ll be discussing about their new venture, or should I call it “school of thought” - Plork. Well, lets find out in this case study.
Questions
NM & SC: Tell us a little bit about your background. Which school of thought are you coming from?
NM & SC: What is Plork? Why are you doing this? Who is it for?
SC: Paula Scher said, “Great design is serious, not solemn”. What is your take?
NM: What makes you go so broad with poets, chefs and philosophers, while education these days is task / job oriented?
NM: What is taste and how do you acquire taste during education? (aesthetic, intellectual)
NM: You teach, “Ways of Seeing”. Tell us more about it?
NM & SC: How do you define a ‘mature’ designer?
NM: What is the role of “play” in corporate structures? When there are clear objectives and deliverables, is play required or possible?
SC: What are key big gaps in today’s design or art education?
NM: What do you think the future of design education in India?
Ep. 287 - Discussing typeface with Sarang Kulkarni (Marathi)
13 déc. 2023
00:42:48
“The characteristics of jazz help. Its sense of improvisation, individualism, sound, and rhythm are all present and important in graphic design, too.” - Niklaus Troxler, who have been improvising with letterforms like Jazz Musicians since 1960s.
In my opinion, a Poster is a mix of typeface and graphics communicating something. In here, typeface matters a lot. To discuss this and more, today we have Sarang Kulkarni with us.
Sarang is a type designer and co-founder of Ektype. He also has his own agency called as The White Crow where he does branding and typography work. This Audiogyan will be in English and Marathi.
Questions
What according to you is Type / Akshar?
Massimo Vignelli said that he is comfortable with half a dozen typefaces lasting a lifetime. Rest all is visual pollution. What's the need for more typefaces?
What triggers a need for new typefaces? Medium, Language, Expression, Enhancement, Technology, Content?
Are there ways to systematically study and distinguish between an improvisation of a typeface versus a different typeface? For eg, Mukta and Modak have different anatomy, so we can say that they are 2 different fonts. But can we say that Inter is an improvised version of Helvetica?
You deal with a lot of abstract forms as well. At letterbox, for eg: “k” (Marathi) can be identified if one looks at the flow or series of iterations of representing ‘k’. Can a letter form be identified in isolation? What's the extent of improvisation? How abstract one can go and still make it palatable?
When can one start improvising on a typeface? When the base font is registered in everyone’s mind. For eg: Can we improvise on a newly launched font set?
Does improvisation in a typeface done only as an experiment can transform into the usage of mass communication?
What's going on with 365 days of type and more such practices and movements? Are those improvisations?
How easy or hard is it today to experiment and improvise on open-source fonts?
When does the author know that the improvisation is done?
Abhinit has been building digital products for past 15 years, he was head of Design at Gojek and scaled the design and research function from 6 designer to 200 plus including research. He is currently on a sabbatical.
Questions
You wear multiple hats - designer, programmer and Product. Your twitter bio says, App Maker. Pixel Hinter. Leak Checker. Who do you associate the most with?
What does scale mean in the world of tech?
What does “designing for scale” enable us to do? Why design for scale?
What’s the role of design & research in this?
Is process driven culture a recipe for scaling? Doesn’t process hinder innovation and out of box thinking?
When lean, one can move fast. When we have legacy how do we change?
Apple being an exception, who else has designed for scale? I know you will say, Stripe. Any other brand / product?
When you are market leaders, what can make us strive for excellence? We are already at scale. :)
What were the biggest challenges and if you were do it all over again, what is one thing you’ll change?
We are in a process of improving our design system, which we hope will help us scale. Who should be the key stake holder and why?
I know you must have answered this many times, does creativity come in the way when we have design system. For eg: How do we personalise or customise for different segments while maintaining unified language?
Ep. 285 - Censorship in films with Ajit Rai (Hindi)
25 oct. 2023
00:54:46
Potter Stewart an associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court once said, “Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself.” Censoring artists, intellectuals is not a new thing.
Today to discuss more about censorship we have Ajit Rai with us on Audiogyan. We’ll be talking about banning and censorship in films in the Indian context. This episode will be bi-lingual but mostly in Hindi. Listeners have to bare with my Hindi questions but Ajit sir will cover my shortcomings. 🙂
He wrote a best seller book " Hindujas and Bollywood'(English ) that is launched in London by actor Akshay Kumar & "Bollywood ki Buniyaad"(Hindi ) launched in 75 th Cannes Film Festival by Mr Apoorva Chandra Secretary Ministry of I & B Govt of India last year 2022. It is a global journey of about 1200 Hindi films introduced to World by Hinduja Family.
He is invited and travelled and reported from more than 50 countries in many prestigious International Film Festivals and Nobel prize ceremony as well.
His credentials are as follows
1.Presently working as Advisor and Film Critic Bharat Express National News Channel.
2.He is regularly contributing as Film Critic for Jansatta / The Indian Express group, Navbharat Times/ The Times of India group, Dainik Bhaskar, Prabhat khabar, People Samachar, Jan Sandesh Times and more than 25 digital media outlets.
3. Ajit Rai has been a member of Media Committee International Film Festival of India Goa in 2010 and Selection Jury Member (Preview Committee) in 2014, 2015 & 2017.
4. He is a guest speaker in knowledge Series of NFDC Film Bazar in IFFI Goa many times.
5 .Ajit Rai has been invited by Film & Television Institute of India as Guest of Honour in 2013 & 2015 in Student Film Festival and National Students Film Awards ceremony.
6. He is a Member of Jury in Life After Oil International Film Festival Sardenia Italy.
7. Cannes Film Festival - the most prestigious festival in the world- granted Ajit Rai the top priority Press Badge considering him as one of the most important film critic of the World
He is covering Cannes Film Festival & many other international film festivals and IFFI Goa since 2004.
8. Ajit Rai is only film critic of India who wrote maximum articles on International Film Festival of India IFFI Goa around more than 500 from 2004 to till date.
9. He has been Consultant Jagaran Film Festival in 2012, 2013 & 2014 in 16 cities of India by the largest circulated Hindi newspaper of the world- Dainik Jagran.
10. He is Advisor and Member of Jury in Rajasthan International Film Festival Jaipur
11. (a) He has started Raipur International Film Festival in collaboration with Govt of Chhattisgarh and Directorate of Film Festival DFF Govt of India in 2015.
(b) He has Started Haryana International Film Festival Yamunanagar in 2008 in collaboration with Govt of Haryana.
(c) He has started Azamgarh International Film Festival in 2018.
(d) He has started Faridabad International Film Festival in 2012.
(e). He has started Sardar Patel International Film Festival in Patiala Punjab
12. (a) He has started Indian Film Festival Moscow Russia as founder Director in 2014 (b) Indian Film Festival Uppsala Sweden in 2013 .
(c) He has started Indian Film Festival Berlin Germany in 2012.
(d) He is Consultant Bollywood Film Festival Oslo Norway since 2013 .
13. He has been invited by President of Iran in 2012 as a special guest in New Horizon Film Festival Tehran .
14. Ajit Rai is one of the leading Film & Theatre Critic & Cultural Journalist of India with wide and vast experience of more than 30 years in almost all leading National Newspapers, reputed Journals and Electronic media as well on Cinema, Theatre, Literature & Cultural discourses.
His about 5000 published articles are pioneer in Film & Cultural journalism. Some of his innovative reports has been debated in Indian Parliament .
15. He has been Editor - Rang Prasang.. an international journal of Cinema & Theatre, National School Of Drama, Ministry Of Culture, Govt. Of India.
16. He is a Member of Jury Bharat Rang Mahotsav, the largest theatre festival of the 3rd world by National School Of Drama, Ministry of Culture Govt of India.
17. He is a Member of Jury Meta Awards by Mahindra Company for theatre.
18. Founder Editor - Drishyantar, a monthly magazine of Cinema TV Culture & Media by Doordarshan Ministry of I&B Govt of India.
19. Worked as consultant Doordarshan Ministry of I & B Govt of India.
20. Worked with All India Radio, Patna & New Delhi. Ministry of I&B Govt of India.
21. World Record -
(a) -Ajit Rai made a world record in film journalism in Cannes Film Festival 2018. He published 75 articles in various Indian Newspapers in 15 days on Cannes Film Festival This is a world record that one journalist wrote 75 articles about one event.
(b) He made a world record in Theatre Criticism in 2010 when his 25 articles published 25 days daily without break during International Theatre Festival by National School of Drama New Delhi.
(c). He is covering Cairo International film festival, EL Gouna Film Festival in Egypt and Red Sea International Film Festival regularly and wrote 25 articles every year.
22. He wrote a book Hindujas and Bollywood in English and Bollywood ki buniyaad in Hindi on contribution of Hinduja Brothers to Indian Cinema.. It is a global cultural journey of about 1200 Hindi films introduced to World by Hinduja Family.
23. Pioneer in personality journalism in India in 1995 in India Today magazine.
24. He has been invited to deliver lecture on Cinema ,Indian culture, Theatre & society by United Nation ( UNO) New York, British Parliament, London, President House Tehran Iran, Uppsala University Sweden, Bollywood Festival Oslo, Norway, Indian Film Festival Berlin Germany & Moscow Russia. Dubai UAE ( Indian Embassy, Sardenia Italy and many more.
25. Ajit Rai is one and only who has been invited in Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony Oslo Norway in 2014.
26 . He is pioneer of Cinema movement in Educational Institutions of India and abroad and started many Film Festivals & Film Appreciation Courses in DAV Girls College, Yamunanagar, Haryana, Kurukshetra University, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, Mahatma Gandhi Hindi International University Vardha, Maharashtra. DAV Centenary College Faridabad , Hariyana etc.
27. Work Experience-
He worked with various newspapers and magazines from 1988 to till date-
1. Dainik Hindustan, Patna & New Delhi ( Hindustan Times group)
2. Navbharat Times, Patna & New Delhi ( Times of India group)
3. Jansatta. New Delhi ( Indian Express group)
4. Dainik Bhaskar, Bhopal
5. Dainik Jagaran, New Delhi
6. Rashtriya Sahara New Delhi
7. Sahara samay New Delhi
8. Swatantra Varta, Hyderabad
9. News Break , Patna
10. Amar Ujala New Delhi
11. Prabhat khabar, Ranchi Jharkhand
12. India Today. New Delhi
13. Outlook, New Delhi
14. Hans New Delhi
15. Aaj ki Jandhara, Raipur Chhattisgarh
16 Jan Sandesh Times. Lucknow .
17. People s Samachar Bhopal Madhya Pradesh.
18. The Sentinal. Guwahati Assam.
28. Educational qualification -
(a) M. A. in Psychology ( 1989), 1st Division,
( b) M.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication, (2007). 1st Division.
Note - Ajit Rai always got 1st Division & 1st Class through out his education ie from Class 1 to 12, B.A. (Hons.) & M.A.
29. Professional qualifications
(a). Diploma in Psycho Analysis, Educational- vocational Guidance & Counselling , 1st division. 1993, NCERT, New Delhi.
(b) . Diploma in Journalism.1 st division( 2006, ) Kurukshetra University.
(c). Diploma in Film Appreciation, 1st division 2003. Film & Television Institute of India FTII Pune.
29. Awards
1. Beat Film Critic National Award, Rajasthan International Film Festival, Jaipur . 2020.
2. Best Film Journalist Award, LIFFT India Film Festival, Lonawala, Mumbai, 2020.
3. Pride of India Award, Khajuraho International Film Festival, 2020.
4. Jaiprakash Narayan International Award for Journalism, Delhi 2020
5. Nat Samrat Best Theatre Critic Award, Delhi , 2020.
6. Rang Sameeksha Samman, Ashirvad Rang Mandal, Begusarai, Bihar. 2018
7. . Rang Sameeksha Samman, Abhinaya Rang Manch, Hisar, Haryana, 2016.
8. . Pride of India Award. 2012
9. Natya Sameeksha Samman, Manch Rangmanch, Amritsar. Punjab. 2010
10 . Kala Sameeksha Samman, Abhinav Rang Mandal Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. 2008.
11. Best Auther of the book 2022 Award. Rajasthan International Film Festival Jaipur 2023.
30. Published Books
1. Hindujas and Bollywood
2. Bollywood ki Buniyaad
3. Drishyantar
4. Andhere Men Chamakati Awazen
5. Two Decades of Jis Lahore Nai Wekhyan .
All published by Vani Prakashan New Delhi.
Questions
What is censorship in the context of films? Why do establishments feel the need of banning or censorship?
When and why did it start? What’s Hays Code and what were the few important milestones in the evolution of censorship? May be just in the Indian context?
Can you tell us if there is any official framework or guidelines for censorship in India? If yes, what are those guidelines?
Who made these? When and why were these made? How objective are these?
I guess, rules in censorship should be treated like Smrutis. They should change with time. Whats the challenge today?
You strongly believe in that nothing should be censored. How do you justify it?
Whats the difference between banning and censorship? What are your thoughts on banning?
We as creators believe, movies are powerful, it can change narratives - so establishment will always interfere - What can be done as creators and also audience?
Many people like Gorge Carlin challenged the establishments and boldly used “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television”. We have many such examples. In my conversation with Varun Grover, even he mentioned that an artist never know the line until he/she crosses it. How can we see a society that allows these line to be crossed. Who can cross these lines? Is this a right question?
What according to you is the future of censorship in India till we have authoritarian regimes. How do you see censorship in a realistic world? Is there a utopian world in film making?
Ep. 284 - Where is the place? with Ar. Sherman Stave
18 oct. 2023
00:47:52
In late 1800s, A Spanish architect, Antonio Gaudi, said, “There are no straight lines or sharp corners in nature. Therefore, buildings must have no straight lines or sharp corners”. But where does the nature stop and where does the building begin? Lets explore more about architecture and history in this 3 part series called, “An insert into the history”.
This series is brought to you by, The Drawing Board, with whom I had partnered last year. The Drawing Board is an international architecture platform based in India. TDB has been actively running Architecture competition for under graduate students since 2016. It is conceptualised by Mindspace Architects and Rohan Builders.
This year, the program is to redesign the existing Badami archaeological museum, in Karnataka. Submission deadline is 9th Oct 2023. More details on thedrawingboard.in
Today, in this concluding episode of this series, we have Ar. Sherman Stave with us on Audiogyan. Sherman is a Principal and Landscape Architect at STX Landscape Architects. With more than 30 years of experience. He has practised extensively in Asia and North America. His exposure to diverse cultures from an early age has lent him broad global perspective, and a deep appreciation of how shaping our environments can change our lives in fundamental ways. These are critical lenses that continue to inform his design approach.
Questions
Who is a landscape architect? What are the principles and strategies on which a landscape architect work?
BV Doshi, once said, “Is the Architecture defined by theory or it’s a convention, or it is something which is rooted in the place?” How big or small overlap do you see between the landscape and the actual building or architecture? Incase of Badami, where and how would you draw the line?
Brian O’Doherty’s famous line, “We have now reached a point where we see not the art but the space first.” What does it mean and where are you on this?
How can landscape design contribute to the interpretation and visitor experience at any archaeological site? For instance, Badami, where the landscape itself is an integral part of the site's history?
What considerations can be taken while designing architecture in such high sensitive historical landscape? When designing an archaeological site like Badami to ensure minimal impact?
Since you are staying in Singapore and even I have recently moved there, I see some amazing work done by humans. The overall landscape is well thought. Can you share your learnings and experience? How can we be so close to nature yet seems to have so much command on it?
Can you share any (2) examples of good museums or public spaces where they blend organically with nature?
Ep. 283 - An insert into the history with Prof. Durganand Balsavar (TDB Series)
11 oct. 2023
01:17:17
Frank Owen Gehry, a Canadian-born American architect and designer once said, “Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness”. How can we long for timelessness in architecture if the place itself keeps changing? Lets explore more about architecture and history in this 3 part series called, “An insert into the history”.
This series is brought to you by, The Drawing Board, with whom I had partnered last year. The Drawing Board is an international architecture platform based in India. TDB has been actively running Architecture competition for under graduate students since 2016. It is conceptualised by Mindspace Architects and Rohan Builders.
This year, the program is to redesign the existing Badami archaeological museum, in Karnataka. Submission deadline is 9th Oct 2023. More details on thedrawingboard.in
In this second episode, “An insert into the history” (which is also the theme of the competition), I have a Prof. Durganand Balsavar. I interviewed him back in episode 249 in the last year’s TDB theme of designing a “Memorial for Charles Correa”. We spoke about intangible architecture.
A quick introduction about Prof. Balsavar. He has been faculty for India Studios of Bartlett, Helsinki School of Architecture and involved in diverse cultural contexts - the Chandigarh Lab, IUAV Venice, Auckland, Indonesia, Nepal. He founded Artes-ROOTS Collaborative, which has been involved in an environment-appropriate architecture as a community participatory process.
Questions
If we look at Indian history and culture, how can one incorporate architectural elements that reflect diverse narratives in a museum projects? What can be the key principles on which this can be thought?
History is told by the rulers. I believe you also have a special interest in Alternate Histories - What does it mean?
So, If alternative histories often involve revisiting and reinterpreting established narratives. How does your architectural design support the reinterpretation of history within the museum context?
Can you share your thoughts on the role of technology, such as interactive exhibits or virtual reality, in enhancing the visitor experience and storytelling within museums dedicated to archaeology and alternate histories?
Can you share any unique architectural features or design elements that distinguish the Badami Archaeological Museum from other museums with similar themes?
Badami is known for its cave temples and rock-cut architecture. What elements can be incorporated in storytelling and educational experiences? How do you see that helping the narrative of the museum in the modern world?
Since the topic is, An insert into History, and your strong opinions on sustainability, What role does sustainability play in the design of the Badami Archaeological Museum, and how do you incorporate those elements into the architecture?
Can you share any other museums you have studied or been part of that are worth studying and referenced? Nationally or internationally?
Ep. 282 - Designing a museum with Ar. Prashant Pole (TDB Series)
04 oct. 2023
01:12:35
BV. Doshi, once said, “A house is a grain, like a small sapling in the bio-diverse wild forest”. I wonder what a public space like a temple, a monument, museum, a park, an industrial zone, a 80 floor office tower or a man made landscape is? Lets explore more about architecture and history in this 3 part series called, “An insert into the history”.
This series is brought to you by, The Drawing Board, with whom I had partnered last year. The Drawing Board is an international architecture platform based in India where students can test their understanding and skills in shaping the way communities live and thrive while preserving local heritage. TDB has been actively running Architecture competition for under graduate students since 2016. It is conceptualised by Mindspace Architects and Rohan Builders.
We begin this series with Ar. Prashant Pole. Prashant has a long and illustrious career that has spanned over three decades. His journey started with Naksha Architects in Bengaluru. He established his own firm, Genesis Architects in 1994 and has worked on single residences, apartments, offices, hotels and institutional buildings. Over these years, he has also been a visiting faculty at MCE Hassan, BIT Bangalore, SIT Tumkur, and USD Mysore. Aside from teaching, he has also been evaluating architecture design as a juror at various architecture schools in and around Bengaluru. We’ll be discussing what goes into making a museum.
Questions
What is the museum according to you? Why do we need them?
Are there any special characteristics when it comes to Museum’s architecture? How can we optimise space to accommodate a wide range of exhibits while maintaining a seamless visitor experience? (Considering people coming from diverse background, language, ethnicity, abilities and more)
Accessibility, sustainability, security, are few common and must have things for any architecture, what are few other guidelines when it comes to a place like Museum?
Which are the famous museums in India and why?
Since this year’s theme is redesign the existing Badami archaeological museum, how can we approach integrating the cultural diversity and historical significance of Badami into the design of a museum, ensuring it resonates with both local and international visitors?
We say that “any place to be built should be built with the material found in 5KMs or it’s radius”. How true is it and why? How do you leverage local materials and craftsmanship to create a distinctive architectural identity for the museum, and what challenges might arise in this context?
Lighting and climate control are crucial factors in preserving the artifacts. How can we go about creating and ideal environment yet ensuring it’s sustainable? We can consider Badami or any other museum (located in the such setup in India)
What suggestions would you give those who wish to specialise in designing museums? Any extra attention in the context of Bandami museum?
Ep. 281 - Improvisation in dance with Avantika Bahl
20 sept. 2023
00:51:27
Friedrich Nietzsche’s famous line - “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”
In today’s episode, we’ll be talking about improvisation in dance with Avantika Bahl. Avantika is a dance practitioner and educator based in Mumbai. As an artist, she works towards creating inclusive performances that can be accessed by a larger community. Over the past few years, her choreographic choices have brought diverse voices and experiences to the mainstream. She studied at the London Contemporary Dance School and completed the Curriculum-in-Motion program offered by Jacobs Pillow. Avantika has a Masters degree in English Literature and completed her Level 3 certification in Indian Sign language.
Questions
What according to you is improvisation? Where do we see it mostly happening? Is it seen in all creative endeavours?
You have dabbled with silence, mundane chores, sometimes with just burst of sounds. What do you call your form of dance? Which category / genre does it belong?
What does it mean to improvise in the context of dance? What guides improvisation for you - Body, Music, Theme, Story, Location or anything else?
Traditionally dance (or most performing art forms) were considered to be performed effortlessly (Sahaj) and elegantly (simple). Does one need to know the rules to bend the rules? What does bending a rule mean? Improvisation?
Your show “Say, What?” with a creative partner who is deaf. What is the extent of improvisation that a dancer can explore and still make it palatable? What the biggest challenge in experiments like these? You said, “We just have to be still and dance” - What do you mean?
Tell us about your experience learning the Indian Sign language. How did it help?
When and why do dancers improvise? When we fail or when we do something over and over again? Is it the boredom? Is it uncovering deeper layers as they keep performing or revisiting the movements? Is it that the medium falls short to express?
Can improvisation be a starting point? Do smaller improvisations impulses land in changing the meta narrative? How does one come back to the main kathavastu / main narrative? May be you can explain in the context of “Look left, turn right”?
What is the extent of improvisation when it comes to dance? Can you share any examples - names and artists who are doing and have done a lot in the past?
What according to you is the future of dance and improvisation?
Ep. 280 - Improvisation in Performing Arts with Trina Banerjee
13 sept. 2023
01:03:33
Satyajit Ray once said, “There is always room for improvisation”. I think this needs a lot more investigation.
Referring to Ray’s comment on the room of improvisation, today we have the honour to have Dr Trina Banerjee with us on Audiogyan. We’ll talk about improvisation in the context of Theatre, Plays, Playwriting, and performing arts at large.
Trina is an Assistant Professor in Cultural Studies at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta. Her research interests include Gender, Performance, Political Theatre, Theories of the Body, Postcolonial Theatre and South Asian History. She has also been a theatre and film actress, as well as a journalist and fiction writer.
Questions
What according to you is improvisation? In how many ways do you see it manifesting? Where do we see it mostly happening? On streets? In life? or just creative endeavours?
When do people improvise? What’s the motivation? Is it expressing themselves in different ways? Is it to communicate better with the other (State, society, individual)? Why do they do? Can you give any examples?
What does it mean to improvise in the context of performing arts (Theatre, Dance, and more)?
Are there categories or genres of improvisation which can be studied systematically? Did different forms of Theatre like the Theatre of Absurd or Pantomime and more emerge due to improvisation?
When and why do people improvise on stage? When do we fail or when do we do something over and over again? Is it the boredom? Is it uncovering deeper layers as they keep performing or revisiting the text?
When and how do improvisations become part of the main setup? As in, no longer be called improvisations? Has it happened that the playwright made changes to the original text as the years passed by?
Ep. 279 - Improvisations in music with Pushkar Lele & Kuldeep Barve
06 sept. 2023
01:18:59
I quote John McLaughlin “I find Indian music very funky. I mean it's very soulful, with their own kind of blues. But it's the only other school on the planet that develops improvisation to the high degree that you find in jazz music. So we have a lot of common ground.”
Pushkar Lele and Kuldeep Barve joins us on Audiogyan and we will be talking about “Improvisation in music”. It’s going to be a bi-lingual conversation in English and Marathi.
Pushkar is a renowned Hindustani classical vocalist and Founder-Director of ‘Gandhara School of Music’. More about his Gurus, rich repertoire and enriching journey of learning music in the show notes.
Kuldeep is a classical guitarist. His practice is influenced by jazz and Indian classical music. He is a co-founder and a core member of the Pune Guitar Society.
Welcome Pushkar & Kuldeep! It’s an honor to have you on Audiogyan. Thanks for giving your time.
As I started of with John McLaughlin’s quote, I wanted to document some of your thoughts on “Improvisation” - when it comes to Hindustani Classical and Western Classical music with a lot of Jazz which I believe has a lot of improvisation.
What according to you is improvisation in the broadest sense?
What does it mean to improvise in a concert? When is it required? How spontaneous it is
Do you see a similar pattern in a Western Classical performances? Or perhaps Jazz? Can we confidently say that each performance by Loius Amstrong was different even for the same set of tracks?
Do you need to be qualified to improvise? If yes, when are you allowed to improvise in Guru Shishya Parampara?
Do we have a lineage kind of a thing in Western music as well - which deals with improvisations? Especially in genres like Jazz, Blues or country?
What is the difference between improvising, exploring or presenting with a different perspective?
When do we call something is improvised? After how much deviation from originally planned is called improvisation?
When does one improvise? When they do the same thing over and over again or when they see some room for exploration? What’s a more common pattern?
What are the extents of improvisation? Whats at stake when an artist is improvising?
Can improvisations land in a loop of improvisations? How do you come back to the sthayi bhava?
Does a well trained audience appreciate improvisations?
When and how do improvisations become part of the main setup? As in, no longer be called as improvisations?
Ep. 278 - Rethinking waste as a resource with Rahul Nainani
16 août 2023
01:02:21
“Waste not, want not.” can be explained as “if you are not wasteful with the resources you have now, then at a later date you will have those resources to use as you want and need. By not wasting, you will not be needy later.”
And today to discuss all about waste ecosystem and the sector at large, we have Rahul Nainani with us on Audiogyan. Rahul has a passion for sustainable policies that create value. With one eye on the bottom line and the other on tangible social impact, Rahul, along with his co-founder Gurashish Singh Sahni founded ReCircle in 2016, as an innovative, multifaceted solution to India’s burgeoning waste management woes. ReCircle has instituted flagship initiatives such as, ClimaOne, Plastic EPR Service, Plastic-Neutral programs and ground-level community collection drives. We’ll talking about this and more.
Questions
How do we define waste? What all broad categories of waste do we generate?
Can you share some stats about waste generated in India every day? Perhaps about the waste ecosystem and the sector at large?
How does the entire setup work? Which all entities are involved in handling waste? From collection at source to finally dumped or put for recycling?
How do we do in comparison to other developing countries like us?
How critical has been the impact of Swatch Bharat and other initiatives to entrepreneurs like you or the entire ecosystem?
Tell us a little bit about ReCircle — how did you come to start it and why? Tell us about your team, initiatives, programs and everything. Right from Safai Saathis to governing bodies, how do you engage with them?
What is ClimaOne? Tell us about other flagship initiatives under ReCircle?
How has technology changed things for everyone in this ecosystem? How and where technology is applied?
Waste management doesn’t sound very sexy. How do you attract talent and run the company?
What is the future of Waste? Can we expect waste in Meta-verse? Can we expect India to be as clean as Singapore?
Ep. 277 - Need for performing spaces with Atul Kumar
09 août 2023
00:33:54
Peter Brook the legendary English theatre and film director once said, ********“I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged.”
Lets talk about the need for such a space with Atul Kumar.
Atul Kumar is The Company Theatre’s founder member. An acclaimed actor and director with more than 30 years of performance experience, Atul has dabbled with different languages and forms of theatre & has showcased his work all over India & abroad. His basic performance training was in the traditional Indian dance and martial art forms of Kathakali and Kalerippayettu in Kerala for over three years as well as a stint with the master of visual theatre - Philippe Genty in France. More about him in the show notes. Today we’ll deep dive into The Company Theatre Workspace, Kamshet as a case study.
Questions
What is The Company Theatre Workspace at Kamshet?
What inspired you to make such a place? Was it the influences from Aadishakti, Nrityagram or Footsbarn theatre group?
There is a beautiful 10 minute video on youtube where you briefly explain the backstory of this place and how it came to be. Do you want to share more details like which were the other 3 spots you shortlisted and why chose this over others? Why was your “want to” list huge? What were your pre-requisites?
Why do you call it a laboratory for theatre and performing arts? When I see your Instagram page, artists are doing all sorts of things from Tai Chi, Yoga to just running around and doing theatre drills, packed with high intensity body movements. What do you do in the space?
You mentioned that “we don’t always expect artists to do something specific but just be by themselves”. How does this help? Reflection, introspection anything else?
For outcome oriented projects, people need structure to think, how does this place facilitate it?
(Philosophical) Everyone needs time to pause and reflect. Do artist need more of it? Why? Can you tell us more about the place? How does the place accommodate for experimentation? Geography, topology, open space, residency and other things about the place?
What’s the future? Do we need more such spaces? Do we have similar places in India? Some mentions about your wonderful and dedicated to art team?
Ep. 276 - “The Promise” documentary making with Jan Schmidt Garre (Part 2)
02 août 2023
00:32:42
Welcome back to Part 2. We were in conversation with Jan Schmidt Garre, film maker, producer and founder of PARS MEDIA. They make high-quality documentaries and feature films with a focus on classical music, dance, and the fine arts.
In the previous episode, we spoke about “Making a documentary” and in this, we speak about his latest Documentary on Late Ar. B.V.Doshi called the “The Promise – Architect BV Doshi”.
Questions
You have made 2 documentaries in the East. What fascinates you about the East, about India?
What makes you make films of Design, art, dance and such creative expressions. Why did you consider architecture to be part of art as a film maker?
What is “The Promise – Architect BV Doshi”? How did the idea of documenting him come about?
How did you discover Doshi’s and what drew you closer to him?
There has been so much documentation on Doshi. What is your narrative in the film?
In your interview with Ritupriya Basu, you said, “Doshi’s architecture must not be shown silently.” How did you manage to show the interactions between the architecture and their inhabitants?
Whats the most enriching moment during your interaction with the legend and making of the film?
I also happened to interview Doshi on Audiogyan. Every word he says is magical. Very difficult to cut things as they are lyrical and rhythmic. How did you go about editing this film. Seems like the toughest part of the adventure
What was your biggest learning and takeaways from the experience? Can you share any anecdotes or experiences of chatting with him, going on a spiritual journey with so beautiful metaphors and explaining the most complex things with love.
When are you showing the film in India? How can people watch it?
Ep. 275 - Documentary making with Jan Schmidt Garre (Part 1)
26 juil. 2023
00:43:09
“In feature films, the director is God; in documentary films, God is the director.” Alfred Hitchcock.
Welcome to this 2 part series with Jan Schmidt Garre. First part is about “Making a documentary” and second part is his latest Documentary on Late Ar. B.V.Doshi called the “The Promise – Architect BV Doshi”.
Jan Schmidt-Garre founded PARS MEDIA in 1988. It’s a production company for high-quality documentaries and feature films with a focus on classical music, dance, and the fine arts. His films have been broadcasted in over thirty countries.
Questions
How true are things if they are not documented anywhere?
How do you define private and public? (While documenting)
How objective is / should be documentation?
What are the rules or framework or principles while making a documentary? How you keep the purity and innocence of the moment or the story? Avoid colouring from the past and your own judgement?
What qualifies to be documented? How does one start?
Is there a limit to what can be said in audio-visual format or film making?
Can documentaries be dangerous?
What’s more effective for story telling, making believable? when you witnessing and being part of the documentary or dramatising sections which you couldn’t be a part of?
What are the top 3 attributes of a good documentary?
(Personal) Since your documentaries are on Art, Music and dance, don’t you feel that you are missing out on actual moments of witnessing the event as oppose to filming it?
We’ll continue this topic in part 2 since I wish to talk about film, The Promise, B.V. Doshi
Ep. 274 - Designing Trucks with Sathiya Seelan Gangaasalam
19 juil. 2023
00:52:25
Maa kaa aashirwaad, OK TATA Bye Bye, Hum Do Hamare Do, Mera Bharat Mahan - Sounds familiar? I am talking about the slogans written behind the truck. But we are not going to discuss those, rather the heavy vehicles on which these are written. Yes. Trucks.
In 1911, truck designer Charles Martin built a gasoline-powered tractor to pull modified horse-drawn commercial wagons. His most significant innovation, however, was the fifth-wheel coupler. A round plate with a central hole, it attached to the top of tractor frames to connect and support trailers. Trucks are broadly divided into light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty classifications depending on their weight. And in today’s episode, we will try and introduce ourselves to how are trucks designed.
I am pleased to have Sathiya Seelan Gangaasalam with us on Audiogyan. He is currently Vice President of Design at Ashok Leyland. An industrial designer who has spent over 2 decades designing cars, trucks, busses, and three-wheelers. Sathiya is a Design thinker, mentor, and writer and also a passionate watercolor artist.
Questions
Can you paint us a landscape of Trucks and truck market in India? Who are the key players, what gets designed, manufactured in India and what’s imported and more?
Which sectors use Truck the most and for what purpose?
What are some of the principles on which a trucks are designed? How do you define success of a good truck design?
Do we have further classification of sub categories within light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty trucks? Specially for India?
Can you tell us the brief stages involved while designing a truck or a heavy duty vehicle? From idea to hitting the market and evolution?
Why do truck manufacturers usually design a new model about every five to seven years?
Do we have special differences while designing heavy duty vehicles specifically for India?
Do companies spend time designing accessories (Bells and Whistles) for a truck which is mostly meant for work?
Tell us a little bit about the cabin - Safety features, Digital displays, Storage, Charging, Button start, sleeping, lights and more
16th July is World snake day - 4 days from today when this episode is released and on this occasion, we are doing a case study of Snake-a-doo, a board game about Snakes and Snake-bites. More than a million people have died due to snakebites in India in the past 20 years. “Snake-a-doo” is an original take on the conventional snakes and ladders game, only this time without any ladders (it only has snakes). It is geared towards education on 9 snake species commonly found in India including the 4 main venomous ones.
Today we have Peeyush Sekhsaria who conceptualised the game and Khyati Pathak who designed it. Peeyush has a Masters's in Earthen Architecture from CRATerre, France, and an M.Phil in Geography from the Sorbonne, Paris. He is currently based out of Delhi working as a Consultant in the domains of Environment, Disaster Management, and Development. Khyati is a writer and a cartoonist. Passionate about policy frameworks and also the host of Puliyabaazi Podcast.
Before we begin, I also want to call out the team who have designed this game with careful messaging, attractive colors, good photographs, and in the tradition of a good board game that will be fun and learning at the same time. Shubham Sayanke, Jose Louis, Parikshit Suryavanshi, Shashi Jha, and Vivek Sharma. Snake-a-doo has been brought to you by Indiansnakes.org and WASA Amravati. 50% of the profit from your purchase goes to support WASA, Amravati’s work in education on snakes and snake bite reduction, and 50% goes to support copies of the game for local groups. So head on to https://snakeadoo.wordpress.com to buy.
Questions
What is Snake-a-doo?
What made you come up with this idea?
Can you briefly share some numbers related to “people dying due to snake bites, types of snakes, density of snakes in different areas within India, snake deaths, impact on food chain etc…”
What was the process of making it? Initial iterations, user testing (🙂) getting it verified with experts and more? How did you adapt for tribal areas and villages?
How and why did you pick on these 4 main venomous ones? And which are the other snakes which are non-poisonous
What modification you made to traditional snakes and ladders. What were the challenges?
Seems like you have added few things like, points and notes along with rescue kits. Tell us some bits about it
Why did you decide to make on cloth and not a board or any other material?
Seems like it’s not just for kids? Who can / should play this game?
Why did you make in 3 sizes and 3 languages? Have you used local names for snakes?
Can it be replicated by locals and regional people?
How has the response been so far? How close we are to the Mission Zero Snake-bite Death. Is it possible?
As Scott Adams, an American author and cartoonist says, “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” In our today’s episode, we’ll try and understand who is making mistakes and who keeps the art. I am personally super interested in knowing how things unfold in this episode with Ujjwal Agarwal also known as Kala.
Ujjwal is a generative artist whose works explore the intersection of art and technology through the use of algorithms and code. His art is characterized by intricate patterns and shapes that emerge and evolve organically from within the digital canvas. He creates art that is both structured and spontaneous, offering a glimpse into the complex interplay between order and chaos. Drawing inspiration from nature, music, and mathematics, KALA's art invites viewers to immerse themselves in a world of beauty and complexity. Kala has a degree in Computer Engineering from NIT Jaipur and a MA in Computational Arts from Goldsmiths University, London.
We can call Ujjwal a multidisciplinary artist given his work in Design, music, and art. But in today’s conversation, we’ll deep dive into his artworks.
Questions
Broad
What is Generative art / design? Because these days, Generative AI is a buzz word, how different or similar it is?
How and where do you classify your style of work? Which genre, category does it belong? You work seems to be abstract.
Can you help us understand the landscape of this kind of work by comparing it with the west or rest of the world? Artists, markets, etc…? - Just a sneak-peak
As per the starting quote, what principles or prompts you use to curate or self critique your work? (Apart from looking good and feeling nice - usually which any artwork is judged)
Work
What do you do exactly? How do you make your art? How do you know the artwork is finished?
Your work illustrates a lot of chaos, lines and abstract forms - Do they emerge organically due to the medium and means or you have something in mind before you start? How do you bring order to the chaos?
(Little technical) Which softwares and consoles you use? Which are the applications commonly used for this kind of work?
How do you start an artwork?
Philosophy
What the story behind Kala?
What makes you interested in Music and Design also? Do you see a common underlying thread?
What makes you say that tomorrow is made of art?
Why do you think, Kala is black?
What’s the future of art? Generative art according to you? What do you think we can see as artwork in 2050 or 2100 :)
Welcome to Audiogyan and I'm your host Kedar Nimkar. Audiogyan brings you conversations with the most influential figures in the Indian creative world - Artists, filmmakers, musicians, architects, writers, curators and designers. I had the honor of hosting remarkable guests like the late Ar. B.V Doshi, Sujata Keshavan, Varun Grover, Taufiwu Quereshi and many more…
We deep dive into their philosophies to understand their worldview. I hope these enriching conversation fuel us with inspiration and understand design and art in the larger context.
Subscribe and tune into Audiogyan on your favorite podcasting app or visit audiogyan.com for more details. Thanks for listening!
Ep. 271 - Whats looping? with Vasuda Sharma
31 mai 2023
00:58:35
David M. Torn, an American guitarist, composer, and producer once said, “The original source of any loop is whatever your sound is, at the moment of input.” Well to unpack this and know more about looping, we have Vasuda Sharma with us on Audiogyan.
Vasuda is a Singer, Songwriter, Producer, and Performer. In fact, being a performer, I have seen her live, playing multiple instruments and live looping at Blue Frog a long time ago. She is trained in Indian classical music. After composing many songs, she later decided to study music more rigorously. Vasuda studied Contemporary Writing and Production at Berklee. More about her in the show notes. We’ll try and understand some basics of looping in the context of music.
Questions
What is looping? (More abstract and philosophical)
What is looping in the context of music? Is it close to tiling? Is it only to set the rhythm and to create a base texture or something more?
Any short history about it? When and how did it start? How did you get into it?
How do you arrive at a final song? What comes first while you create a track, the base cycle of looping or the tune or the lyrics, or anything else? I suspect these happen simultaneously due to their nature, but if we can break it to understand? 🙂
What’s the trip/kicks-in looping? On one side doesn’t it feel restrictive since you working in the same taal / tempo? No? Can you give an example of how looping can be explorative?
What are the different approaches for looping as an art form? Any difference between live looping and recording? Is anything that is more challenging than others?
What is the long-term future of looping in this digital world? Any artists to follow?
Kamini Rao has built giant cakes, designed cozy mountain homes and boozy retro diners, created fake airplanes, and architected a house for a doll. Although her work is deeply rooted in architecture and interior design, we will be talking about space, exhibition, and set design. She is a multidisciplinary designer with a focus on collective experiences using art and architecture. She founded Studio Slip in 2018 with the aim to bring an experimental approach to interior design. At SLIP, she heads a team of architects and designers and together they design cultural spaces, museums, and exhibitions but also work in the commercial and residential realm.
Questions
Let's start with what kind of work you exactly do.
What are exhibition design and set design? What is the kind of brief you get? Which are the entities involved in any exhibition and while making a set; from a designer’s point of view?
How does a space for an exhibition come to be? What are the steps involved in it? If you can explain with and example?
How do you decide when to use a fake and when to get an original for a particular theme?
How and from where do ideas come from since each theme will be different? From where do you seek inspiration? People involved in the exhibition, theme, objective of the project, or anything else?
How much of overlap does architecture, interior design, industrial and furniture design have while designing an exhibition or making a set? Again if any example to explain?
In design, we call the best design to be invisible design. How much of it holds true in spatial design?
Can you share the most fun and exciting project you did and a few nuances of it? Maybe a little bit about the Doll Project or any of your miniature spaces?
I have been to film sets and other productions. Usually, what's in the frame is clean while outside the frame it’s usually messy. Why? How does your designer in you make peace with it?
What’s the future of space design, exhibitions, and real spaces where the world is moving towards a meta-verse? 🙂
Ep. 269 - What are aesthetics? with Saugata Bhaduri
12 avr. 2023
01:11:46
I am not sure where do I start today’s episode since it’s about aesthetics. This concept can be seen in mathematics, arts, poetry, literature, music, sculpture, photography, cooking. In fact anything that you see, smell, taste, touch or hear. So lets leave it to our today’s guest, Saugata Bhaduri. He is an Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi, India. A scholar in the field of aesthetics, which is the philosophical study of beauty and taste. As a professor at JNU, Saugata is known for his engaging and thought-provoking lectures and has made a significant impact on the education of students in the arts and humanities. Through his teaching, research, and engagement, he is making important contributions to the field of aesthetics and to the study of the arts and humanities more broadly. We’ll try and understand some basics and how to go about understanding aesthetics.
Questions
What are aesthetics? How would you define aesthetics, and what role do you see it playing in the study of the arts and humanities?
Since it’s about beauty and taste, is it subjective or objective? Who defines aesthetics? Are there any categories to classify or framework to understand aesthetics?
How do you approach the study of aesthetics from an interdisciplinary perspective, and what benefits does this bring to the field?
What role do you think aesthetics plays in shaping the society? How do you think it can be used to address social and cultural issues?
Can you discuss any current research or initiatives in the field of aesthetics that you find particularly interesting or important, and why?
Rajni Bakshi joins us on Audiogyan. She is an Indian author, researcher, and activist. Her work primarily focuses on issues related to non-violence, economics, ecology, and peace. Rajni is the founder and curator of Ahimsa Conversations, an online platform for exploring the possibilities of nonviolence. More about her in the show notes. I have been to Vipassana a couple of times and found that peace is an outcome of a war. This made me curious to have a conversation with Rajni on understanding the design of Peace. A small note before we start. These are complex subjects of a lifetime. As I and Rajni spoke about this before the recording, we are all exploring the right questions for the given answers.
Questions
What does nonviolence (Ahimsa) mean to you? Tell us a little bit about “Ahimsa Conversations”. How and where did all of it begin?
Isn’t violence part of nature - “survival of the fittest”? Also one fights with oneself to perform better (an athlete for eg.) How do you see violence with this lens?
How do you respond to criticism that non-violence is ineffective or idealistic in the face of oppression and violence?
How do you see using non-violence as a means of social change? In your view, what are some of the key challenges to promoting and practicing non-violence in our communities and societies? Gandhi is the biggest example of changing the power structure through non-violence. Do you think it’s possible today?
What is the long-term future of violence as a concept?
Ep. 267 - Rock Paper Scissors with Sagarika Suri (Case Study)
08 mars 2023
00:57:16
In episode 220 with Hrush Bhatt, he said, a sculptor knows his / her medium, marble, mud, or stone, and an architect knows what kind of material he/she wants, similarly, a digital product designer should know how to code, design and write copy. Today we have a guest who is a perfect blend of understanding materials and implementing them in her practice. Sagarika Suri - a practicing architect and urban designer in Mumbai. She practices small and large-scale projects through Studio Tessera based in Mumbai and dabbles with materials at rockpaperscissors. It’s a material lab for the studio to experiment with ideas and concepts on a smaller scale. Sagarika is also a part of CSA which is the Collective for Spatial Alternatives and has been engaged in self-development and low-cost housing projects in Mumbai.
Questions
What does material mean to you? Has that definition changed over time? How important it is for a designer to know his/ her medium? Why?
What is "rockpaperscissors"? Why did you start it?
From your research on materials, what are you trying to arrive at? Is there a goal or just exploration? Because it is said that material is just a medium. (as BV Doshi says, even RCC can be made to look beautiful).
What are a few parameters on which you evaluate a material? Is there a framework or set of guiding principles to identify good material versus bad?
You also engage in repurposing/reusing waste. Here plastic seems to be the most versatile material if used properly. Tell us about plastic and your engagement with waste.
Which is the most versatile material, plywood, paper, resin, concrete, glass, and cloth that you are currently working with or anything else?
How do you investigate the short-term and long-term implications of a particular material? If you can give any examples?
Can you explain the process by taking an example of any material and how has the journey been so far? What have you uncovered? How about Liquid Plywood for eg?
How does this help in your commercial projects?
What is the future of materials? Which material do you think will dominate the market? We see a lot of sustainability brands mushrooming all over. Do you think they will scale?
Ep. 266 - Parampara and Paddhati with Dr. Keshavchaitanya Kunte
22 févr. 2023
01:15:41
Today we have Dr. Keshavchaitanya Kunte with us on Audiogyan. He is a Harmonium player, composer, and musicologist. Keshavchaitanya Sir received extensive training in Hindustani Art music, for Harmonium under the able guidance of Dr. Arawind Thatte. For vocal music from Pt. Mohanrao Karve and Dr. Ashok Da. Ranade for musicology.
We’ll try to document Keshavchaitanya Sir’s thoughts on parampara (tradition) and paddhati (methodology) in the context of Hindustani Music. Just as a disclaimer, these subjects are studies of a lifetime and it’s almost impossible to pack in an hour or so… Please consider these as conversation starters.
Also before we begin, a special thanks to Dakshina Dwarka Foundation and Baithak Foundation for introducing me to Chaitanya sir. I met him at a workshop organized in Pune in 2022 on Talking with Tradition. This Audiogyan will be in Marathi and English
Questions
What according to you is Prampara and Paddhati? I know these are 2 massive subjects but just a brief introduction will help.
What are the main 5 categories of Indian music? (That Dr. Ashok Ranade spoke about) Do all of them have paddhati?
Seems like all music will have paddhati but does all of them have parampara? How do you define parampara in Music?
In classical music, you are supposed to undergo rigorous training to master what? Paddhati? When and how are you allowed to experiment?
In the music world, we hear this often, “The Lalit that morning by Aamir Khan will be etched in the heart for life”. What is the significance of time and place in this context? Which aspect of parampara and which aspect of paddhati keep the relationship?
What according to you is the difference between “Shastrokta sangeet” and “Shastriya sangeet”?
Ep. 265 - Artist, art and more with Mohammad Muneem Nazir (Alif)
14 févr. 2023
01:04:47
If you want the truth,
I’ll tell you the truth:
Listen to the secret sound,
the real sound,
which is inside you.
-Kabir.
Today we have such a person with us on Audiogyan who has not only heard his inner voice but also share himself as a work of art. He happens to be born n raised in Kashmir. Would his work of art be any different if he was born raised anywhere else in the world ? I am pleased to have Mohammad Muneem Nazir with us on Audiogyan. He is a poet, singer-songwriter. His artist name is Alif. He is the winner of the IRAA Award for his single “Like a Sufi” and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the single “Lalnawath”. He conceptualizes and directs Alif’s videos. Muneem teaches Urdu poetry/songwriting at Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce in Pune and also conducts various poetry/song writing workshops.
Questions
Who according to you is an artist? What does art mean to you? Can you separate art from the artist?
Does an artist need to be always in pain? or seeking pain? How instinctive is “writing” for any poet? or for you?
In your DD Kasheer interview, you casually mentioned that you want to stay with a positive vibe - While your poetry seems to be dark at times. Could you talk about it a little more?
You often say, the Kashmiri language has a lyrical quality to it and the words feel musical. Even though your compositions seem soothing and melodic but the lyrical content has some undercurrent. Any observations you saw in your work?
This is in the context of your song, “Lalnawath”. There can be multiple takeaways from it. Is there any threshold of abstraction when you say what you want to say but still making it palatable to the listener/reader of your poetry?
I interviewed Varun Grover a long time ago and he said that a poet is creating art within the environment he or she is living. While few artists have done amazing work in exile. How and when can one reflect or zoom out to see the larger narrative? Is there a larger narrative while poets live in a utopian world?
Vinu Daniel joins us on Audiogyan. He is an Architect and did his B. Arch in 2005 from The College of Engineering, Trivandrum. After that, he worked with Auroville Earth Institute for the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) Post-Tsunami construction. On returning from Pondicherry in 2007 he started 'Wallmakers', an architectural practice that deals with sustainable and cost-effective architecture. Mud bricks, recycled materials, eco-friendly methods of construction, and apt utilization of natural resources shaped Vinu's design philosophy. We’ll try and document some of his thoughts on mud as a material and what is truly sustainable.
Questions
According to BV Doshi, cement is just another material. It depends on how we use it. What’s wrong with cement?
What’s so beautiful about mud as a material? It gives a lot of warmth. What’s the extent to which Mud as a material can be exploited? Can we build a skyscraper with mud?
In UI design, we have an atomic theory for building design systems. In your case, is brick the foundation block? How do you build foundations?
At Wallmakers, how do you ensure Mud is sturdy and stable? How do you ensure that waste doesn’t spoil the architecture in a long run? Tell us a little bit about Debris Wall and Shuttered Debris Wall.
“Sustainable” is now an overused term. It loses its actual meaning over time. While you have been practicing it pretty religiously / judiciously. What does it mean to you? What is truly sustainable?
When we are focused on a particular agenda/approach, we tend to have less focus on other dynamics. For eg: If everything is about sustainability, What about architecture that invests in creating space for conversations? (Like Correa) - How do you balance them in your work?
What is the long-term future of housing, shelter, and security according to you? (Do you see any flip side to the name “Wallmakers”?)
Ep. 263- Being interdisciplinary with Ruchika Nambiar
25 janv. 2023
01:17:47
Swami Vivekananda once said that “Get extensity with intensity, but not at its expense.” I guess our today’s guest has been trying to achieve both very elegantly in her practice, breadth, and depth at the same time. Happy to have Ruchika Nambiar with us on Audiogyan. Ruchika is an artist, designer, and writer. Her work ranges across media, from publishing books, graphic memoirs, interactive social media stories, design consulting practice for brands and businesses as well as a mentorship program for young artists and designers. We’ll be talking about what it takes to be an interdisciplinary designer. She has some really well-documented videos on her youtube channel and website.
Questions
What is your definition of design and what’s your definition of art?
What does it really mean to be an interdisciplinary designer or an artist? Is it an outcome to input? How do you compare it with being a T-shaped designer?
Can one start being interdisciplinary? As Massimo Vignelli says, “if you can design one thing, you can design everything”. How would you respond to that?
What comes first for such designers - Thought or the medium to explore?
In your talk “10 Practical Realities of a Multi-Disciplinary Practice” on youtube - you mention, “use your best skill first” - isn’t it difficult to become best at one thing while doing another?
I have heard multiple times (recently by Varun Grover) that if you wish to write, do all other things than writing. Then write. Basically, expose yourself to many other things which fuel your creativity. What does an interdisciplinary artist or a designer consume?
[personal question] From whatever I gather after researching you and seeing your work, it’s quite a feat. Plus you talk about being a project manager, handling billing, building relationships, and so on… Do you feel you are spread thin? What keep you motivated on so many levels?
Anton Chekov’s famous lines in his book are… “If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired, it shouldn’t be hanging there.” Well, I guess our today’s guest has an innate and instinctive quality to decide what’s in the frame and what's not. Be her earlier stint as a photojournalist or her avatar as a production designer for numerous films since 2006. I am pleased to have Meenal Agarwal with us on Audiogyan. She has been a production designer for many films like Ankhon Dekhi, Hitchki, Pari, Bulbul, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, and most recently the Netflix film Qala.
Questions
What does a film mean to you? What are the other 2 things that matter the most to you in a film apart from the story?
I guess, in the early days of cinema, there was not really an explicit role of a production designer (at least in India). Most of the stuff was done by the director and the cameraman. How did it come to be? Why did we feel the need for production designers? Scale? More attention to detail? Quality of the narrative?
What is production design in the context of a film? How are they different from Art directors or set designers?
Who are the key stakeholders of a production designer? How much of a role do they have in refining / changing the narrative? Any example from Aakhon Dekhi or rk-rkay or Dum Laga ke haisha?
How much space is important in your work? When do you decide to make a replica or use the original? Can you briefly explain what are the steps to arrive at the final output? What’s kind of a process? Maybe take a recent example of Qala which is set in the 1940s in Calcutta.
How do you decide what stays and what’s not required in the frame keeping the larger story in context? Since you are creating a whole world out there - How big is the team generally for small-scale production and large-scale production?
All might seem possible in the pre-production stage but during the shoot, budgets might just shoot up. What compromises does a production designer do? Again with any example?
What is more satisfying as a creative designer - working on relatively large budget films like Hitchki and Shakuntala Devi or bootstrap films like rk/rkay?
What is the future of Production Design when everything is going digital? First, it was actors on green screen and now humans are replacing AI-driven characters.
If you have the conclusion by giving some tips for those who wish to get into this space, what would be those?
Audiogyan is proud to partner with UnBox Cultural Futures Society and What Design Can do. What Design Can Do, is an international organization that seeks to accelerate the transition to a sustainable, fair, and just society using the power of design.
WhatDesignCanDo is launching the “Make it Circular Challenge” - a global design competition building a circular future in partnership with IKEA. This Challenge invites designers and creative entrepreneurs everywhere to submit design-driven climate innovations. The end goal? To show the world that a circular future is not only imaginable — but actionable. Winning projects will be propelled into 2023 with €10.000 in funding and a tailor-made development program. Submit your proposals online for free by 31 January 2023. Check out the design briefs and learn more about them at makeitcircular.whatdesigncando.com
Pepijn Zurburg joins us on Audiogyan. He is a designer and an art director. During his studies at the Utrecht School of the Arts and Sandberg Institute, Pepijn met Richard van der Laken. Together, they founded the renowned visual design agency De Designpolitie, the graphic design collective Gorilla, and What Design Can Do. Their work has won numerous awards and features in the permanent collection of galleries such as Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and MoMa New York. Working with partners and clients from KPN to Frascati Theatre, and many more. Pepijn is responsible for leadership and strategy, branding, and visual communication for everything at “What Design Can Do”. A true allround designer with a strong hands-on approach.
Questions
What's your definition of design? How has it changed over time?
What according to you is a “short term” and “long term” view on using Design, for profitability? What according to you, design can really do and what are we doing?
What is the “What can design do” competition about?
What are the fundamental aspects of circular design for this year's theme?
What made you start with Richard, “What Design Can Do”? Any moment, project, or milestone which you think is a trigger/starting point?
Can you give us a panoramic view from 2015 till today? Maybe talk a little bit about the start with the “refugee challenge” and others to this year's “make it circular” challenge
Design is a continuum (Naveen Bagalkot), a process where we peel layers by shipping. What framework do you use to evaluate that proposed ideas are actionable? In your research docs, you mentioned “The Five Circular Ways of Living”. Can you tell us more about it?
I had given a flash talk a long time ago called “Designed by Default”. In short, it was about… “things are designed by default in nature”. We as the human species, rewire stuff for some incentives which more often than not land up in a few tradeoffs. What are your thoughts on that? How do you look at the synthesis after this tradeoff?
Can you conclude by sharing any case study/winner or 2, which you loved the most in the last 5 years?
One surprise question, regarding hands-on. Does a designer need to be hands-on all his/her career? What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an individual contributor all throughout?
Ep. 260 - What can design do in India with Ayush Chauhan
03 janv. 2023
00:58:26
Audiogyan is proud to partner with UnBox Cultural Futures Society and What Design Can do. What Design Can Do, is an international organization that seeks to accelerate the transition to a sustainable, fair, and just society using the power of design.
WhatDesignCanDo is launching the “Make it Circular Challenge” - a global design competition building a circular future in partnership with IKEA. This Challenge invites designers and creative entrepreneurs everywhere to submit design-driven climate innovations. The end goal? To show the world that a circular future is not only imaginable — but actionable. Winning projects will be propelled into 2023 with €10.000 in funding and a tailor-made development program. Submit your proposals online for free by 11 January 2023. Check out the design briefs and learn more about them on makeitcircular.whatdesigncando.com
Today we have Ayush Chauhan with us on Audiogyan. Ayush is the Managing Partner & Co-Founder of Quicksand Design Studio. He is a strong advocate of transformative roles through design within public policy, international development, social enterprise, and innovation, for which he was also granted the prestigious Yale World Fellowship in 2012. Ayush is also an avid triathlete! Quicksand Studio also hosts the UnBox Cultural Futures Society. It’s a platform exploring new narratives and building action at the intersection of disciplines, to reimagine India’s plural futures. As part of its agenda, UnBox Cultural Futures Society partners with What Design Can Do regularly and this year they bring, the ”Make it circular challenge”.
Questions
As we say, “India has many Indias.” We also do not have a literal translation of the word “Design” in India. We have kala, Karigari, and many more. How and where do you see Design in India?
Our education system is mainly inspired by the west which in the initial days (before personalization) was designed for profits and thereby had a lot of standardization. We have also recently seen that valley startups don’t find a PMF in India. What are your learnings/insights so far to reimagine India’s plural futures through UnBox Cultural Futures Society?
Historically (half a millennium ago) we as Indians were huge on up-cycling, reusing, and good design systems to make this circular thing work - Can we find learn from some insights?
What Design Can do has partnered with IKEA for this “make it circular challenge”. IKEA is one brand that has made genuine attempts to contextualize products and services as per markets, barring aesthetics. Can you talk a little bit about the fundamental aspects of circular design?
How did "UnBox Cultural Futures Society" and "What Design can do" connect? A little bit of the backstory? In which capacity do you guys collaborate
What are other initiatives undertaken by Unbox through the years? Collaborating with British Council, NID, Gothe Institute, and more.
In India, according to you are a few domains that need immediate design intervention. I am assuming it will be from MP Ranjan’s list but still, since you are a practicing professional, you might see things differently.
Can you conclude by sharing any case study/winner or 2, which you loved the most in the last 5 years from “What Design Can do” competitions?
EP:259 - Rhythm by Taufiq Qureshi (6th Anniversary Episode)
28 déc. 2022
00:52:10
Today Audiogyan turns 6. Yes, It’s been amazing 6 years of documenting designers, poets, musicians, writers, thinkers, filmmakers, and more… We have reached the 259th episode. Well and to celebrate this special anniversary episode, we have Taufiq Qureshi with us, who can unarguably be called the King of rhythms. One of the most sought-after percussionists and the greatest thinkers in the world of music and world music. Apart from introducing us to Djembe and many other instruments, Taufiq sir has brought percussion instruments to center stage. Son of Ustad Alla Rakha and younger brother of Ustad Zakir Hussain, for Taufiq sir, music runs in the family. His music speaks for itself. His repertoire clearly shows his hard work, discipline, and passion for it. What we will try and document today is his philosophy about music and his thoughts on “rhythm”.
Questions
What does the word rhythm mean to you after 50 years? What makes the “sum” so divine?
I heard in Ashok Ranade’s talk on ethnomusicology that, “Aristotle specifically mentioned that don’t change the rhythm of the state. It creates anarchy”. What makes rhythm so fundamental?
In my interview with Sudhir Mainkar, he mentioned that music emerged from nature. Is it worth asking did shruti came first or taal?
For a percussionist, rhythm is everywhere. Are there areas where there is no rhythm or rhythm need not be seeked? I had heard in one of P.L. Deshpande’s speeches that a real musician should be able to hear shadja even in the ceiling fan. 🙂
You have spent a lot of time experimenting with a rhythm which dwells in the zone of abstract music. How do you make it relatable? Does the listener have to be aware or informed for it to comprehend? You are often quoted as knowing the pulse of the audience and performing accordingly.
It is said that instruments travel. Can you talk a little bit about instruments like djembe, duff, and bongos, in the context of instruments travel culturally?
“One man is equivalent to all Creation. One man is a World in miniature.” ~ Albert Pike. Even in Indian spirituality, these words are commonly used and understood that the macrocosm is the reflection of our body which is the microcosm. Today we have a guest who deals with really intricate artwork which need a lot of focus, attention and precision. We are talking about miniature art. Srijan Jha joins us on Audiogyan. Srijan is a miniature artist, traveller, writers, storyteller and also engages in heritage restoration. He is from Bhopal and we’ll be talking all about miniature art.
Questions
What’s you definition of patience and art? How do you see them both in the kind of art you produce?
What’s miniature art? Why was it called limning? Can you share any brief history of it’s origin and travel? Why was it done, when was it first thought of etc…? Where do you see it in India?
Can you give us a peek into the mythology and folklore associated with this art form?
I started of with the microcosm and macrocosm. It seems like in miniature art you try fit in the universe. What excites you about this form? What’s so special about Miniature art? Why do people predominantly draw portraits? Even your work is mostly portraits? What is the creative satisfaction in doing it?
How mini can a miniature painting be? What are typically the subjects? How important is the subject? What surfaces are suitable for this form of art?
With digital age and technology, what are the new challenges for miniature artists (at least in your kind of work). Can artists zoom 20x and achieve the desired output? What is the future of miniature art?
In episode # 244, Sumana Chandrashekar spoke about History of Ghatam. Immediately after the episode was released, Sangeeta Jawla connected and suggested that we could have done a pre-cursor to the Ghatam episode and document the “pot”. Well, better late then never. Today we have Sangeeta with us on Audiogyan to talk about the clay as a material and it’s history through stories and folklores.
Sangeeta is a research scholar, a practicing potter and a storyteller. She engraves the potters’ folk narratives (collected all across India) on the clay canvas. The visual depiction of the potter’s folk and real-life narratives help us understand the community’s folklore, social relations and material culture differently. Additionally, as a woman practitioner, she also focus on the question of women agency, since in most traditional potter communities women are not allowed to touch the wheel, even while they fully engage with all other aspects of pottery production, from preparing clay to decorating to selling. We’ll try and document few stories and a brief history of clay intersecting from mythology to ecology and more…
Questions
How & why did we discover pot? Or did we invent it? What were the initial forms made of?Clay? How did the pot look long time ago?
Can you talk a little bit about the narratives around the title of the potters. Who is/was a Prajapati or Khumbhar? How did these words come to be?
Pot seem to have come with us a long way. It has connected many things. Could you tell few important milestones in it’s journey so far? For eg: The tools, the donkey, the gender and caste aspect? Music and songs
Pot is used a lot in philosophy. Seems like some profound questions are either asked or answered through pot. In Vedanta, Clay and pot example is used many times. Can you talk a little bit about the process of making a pot and the analogies we have in our life? (Beating the clay, baking etc…)
What kind of pots were / are made and what are the stories inscribed on them? Any key iconic stories which are found?
Can you tell us about the project that you did - “Who is the pot?”
Today’s guest has been dealing with conflicts for some time now. Pleasure to have Avni Sethi with us on Audiogyan. Avni is a interdisciplinary practitioner with her primary concern lying between culture, memory, space and the body. She conceptualized and designed the Conflictorium about which we’ll be diving deep as a case study. Her interests lies in exploring the relationship between intimate audiences and the performing body.
Questions
What does conflict mean to you? Where do conflicts come from? Aren’t those inherent? Is there something called a s a good conflict to have?
What according to you is the relationship between the performer and the audience or a piece of art and viewer? The artist seems to be in a conflict and somehow tries to express it through work. What’s going on here according to you?
Where do main stream narratives come from? Do they emerge amongst us with time? Are they bottom up or top down or media propagated. How can one systematically study them or confront them?
What is conflitorium? How did it come to be?
How do you investigate conflict? Can you give any example(s)?
What does it mean to be comfortable with disagreements and conflict?
I think it’s a lot to do with building a common “vocabulary”. People think in binaries. How do you build these shades to grey - if you can explain with any example(s)? (For eg: how would say like a “memory tree” will not be perceived as a propaganda?)
It’s said that “the world is how you see it”. People have short term memories and choose to move on with just roti, kapda and makaan. Why introduce art and culture or as you call is “shiksha” in it?
Can you share a few community-led solutions to conflict in your practice so far? How have people reacted to very counter intuitive narratives which apparently look different.
Peace is generally an outcome of conflict, even as per the Buddha. While Conflictorium engages in dialogue and making sensitive by “talking”. How do you see future of it? What ways peace can manifest? Is there a timeline?
V. Ravichandar joins us on Audiogyan. Ravi is an Honorary Director at the Bangalore International Centre. He is also the Honorary Consul for Republic of Slovenia in Bengaluru. His entrepreneurial stint was around strategy and marketing consulting through his firm Feedback Consulting. He has worked voluntarily with State and Local governments as well as civil society to improve cities. This was through the Bangalore Agenda Task Force, JN-NURM, and the City Connect platforms.
Apart from BIC, Ravi also helps run the annual Bangalore Literature Festival as part of his efforts to improve public spaces. Today we’ll be talking about his pro bono work since 2000 with the city's hard and soft infrastructure. Thank you Ravi for giving your time and it’s a real honour to have you on Audiogyan.
Questions
Today we are focusing on redesigning cities using Bengaluru as a peg. In your experience how do we reimagine a city that is bursting at the seams and having a host of problems? As Pranay Kotasthane from Puliya Baazi says, Over population is not the problem but under governance is… Let us take the recent flooding as an example of the problems
Why did it happen and how do we prevent future floods?
Can we really redesign public spaces given their dynamic and organic nature? What would be the few axes on which this can be thought?
You have engaged with multiple stakeholders involving Sarkar, Samaaj, and Bazaar in the cityscape. What are your key learnings as we reimagine the future?