Animal's Indianama : 69 Artists' India

This Independence Day, Kulture Shop ArtistKunel Gaur talks to us about Animal's collaborative project called Indianama, that has 69 artists reinterpret India's 69 years of Independence in new visual narrations. Launched on 12th August at Kona Gallery, Delhi - get a sneak peak into this epic project here.

Animal is an independent creative agency based out of New Delhi, India co-founded by Sharon Borgoyary and Kunel Gaur. Animal's focus is on brand design and content in the shape of advertising, graphic design, motion, space and interactive products. So far they have worked with brands like Adidas Originals, Google, Microsoft, Housing.com, Flipkart, Keventers and NDTV Gadgets to name a few.

Kunel Gaur: Year 1980

Furqan Jawed: Year 1966

Nasheet Shadani WIP: Year 1964

KS: What is the significance of Indianama?

Kunel: All that has been written about history is linear, straightforward and textbook-ish. Art allows us to go vague, or have a point of view or go frivolous and show us a different context to a moment in history that we all have heard or read about. I see Indianama as an artistic documentation of the years after independence. A visual journey seen through the eyes of so many Indian artists. In terms of artists, we've got painters, calligraphers, illustrators, graphic designers, street artists and even writers creating artworks representing their chosen year. I really hope the outcome of this project reaches as many people as it can. Because of the sheer effort put in by so many artists into bringing alive those stories that are forever a part of our history. Some of the events articulated in Indianama from back in time are things we've never heard of, or we've seen happen but never paid heed to. The project aims to re-imagine those stories for generations new and old.

KS: What do you feel the role of creatives and artists is in the future of India?

Kunel: A hell lot. There's just so much scope to design this place in ways never seen before. And it only gets bigger with the government's initiative of introducing 98 smart cities to the Indian urban scene - which means that much more opportunity to re-imagine and re-create ecosystems for millions of people. The spread of population across the landscape of India will de-populate currently overloaded urban areas and hence give way to better design aesthetics being accepted in all disciplines ~ be it architecture, design, food or technology.

Kunel's Independence DayPlaylist. 

You can explore all 69 years online here or if in Delhi, visit the Exhibition at KONA.