Fire Continuum by Ronny Sen, 2014.
*Please note that the images used throughout the catalogue are the copyright of photographer or Science Gallery Bengaluru and are not available under Creative Commons license unless otherwise specified.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 02 03 04 05
INTRODUCTION About Carbon Overview
OPENING EVENT
THEMES AT CARBON Carbon As A Material Creatures Of Carbon Carbon And Contamination Corporeal Carbon Carbon And/In Conflict Alt C Carbon Cultures Carbon And Consumption Carbon Futures
PROGRAMMES Public Lectures And Tutorial Masterclasses Workshops Events
FESTIVALS Film Festival Namma Oota
06 07 08 09 10 11
TRAVELLING EXHIBITIONS Critical Zones Great Elephant Migration
LEARNING PROGRAMMES Summer School Writing Workshop Mediator Programme
TAKE IT FURTHER
CLOSING EVENT
COLLABORATORS Funding Partners Content Partners Program Partners
TEAM
01 INTRODUCTION
ABOUT CARBON Ex-Humus by Alexander Nikolsky, 2022. 4 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
CURATORIAL TEAM Ashank Chandapillai, Social Scientist Gayatri Manu, Writer Jahnavi Phalkey, Historian of Science Madhushree Kamak, Designer Ravi Agarwal, Curator Vasudha Malani, Writer
Under Pressure Carbon—life forming since the beginning, as we know it, of both life and non-life on this planet, is today under pressure. We do not yet know another form of life other than carbonaceous life. Foundational elements of life—DNA, RNA, proteins, carbohydrates and lipid membranes—are all structured around a carbon backbone. At the same time, diamonds, graphite, coal, and black carbon, among others, are all allotropic forms of carbon! Carbon is a measure on its own. Apart from radiocarbon dating, carbon dioxide is today the standard to understand and regulate the flow of exchanges between ecology and economy.
historical time—that which we shape by human action. In the process, carbon is today demonised as polluting and destructive of life. Yet, we have created a carbon market of pardon that dissociates extraction and consumption from direct consequences. Carbon is an archive of buried sunshine, carrying memories of life on earth. It jumbles the divide between substance and phenomena; caught between finitude of nature’s resources and the near infinite wonderous potential it holds. It is urgent that we better understand both carbon energy history and the futures it enables.
Still from Mitter Bedi and T.S Satyan photographic series Of Machines and Men, n.d. Courtesy of the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP).
Carbon holds the consolidated state capacity and the authority of the state. We have conjured development projects out of nature driven by coal and oil-fired productivity. Climatic effects of fossil fuel consumption have become alarmingly apparent. We are creating a chasm between geo-biological time as shaped by the material memories of the planet and
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OVERVIEW Ex-Humus by Alexander Nikolsky, 2022. 6 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
2,27,168+ WEBSITE VIEWS
2,66,053 EXHIBITION VISITORS
167 CONTRIBUTORS* 91 Art and Design 43 Natural Sciences 17 Social Sciences 10 Humanities 06 Entrepreneurs
EXHIBITION EXPERIENCE
PROGRAMME EXPERIENCE
37 Exhibits 35 Films 49 Media Objects 52 Artists and Scholars* 402 Connected Resources
64 Programmes 115 Artists and Scholars* 9740 Programme participants 1 Live Experiment
MEDIATORS
MEDIA ENGAGEMENT
21 Mediators 11 Institutions 04 Languages
33,09,00,000+ Reach 43,000+ Engagement 46 Press Mentions
CARBON CARBON 2024 2024 // 7
02 OPENING EVENT 8 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
N.S Boseraju and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw at the opening of CARBON.
From L to R: Jahnavi Phalkey, Kiran Mazumdar-Saw, Ekroop Caur, N S Boseraju and Rose Hiscock at the opening of CARBON From L to R: Pavan Kumar Malapati, ISN Prasad, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, N. S. Boseraju, Ekroop Caur, Jahnavi Phalkey, Rose Hiscock, Sarah Durcan.
On 19th January 2024, Science Gallery Bengaluru celebrated a landmark moment with the opening of its new building and the inaugural exhibition, CARBON. The event marked a significant step in the Gallery’s mission to make science and knowledge accessible to all. The opening weekend featured an exciting lineup of programmes, beginning with guided walkthroughs of the exhibition led by the Science Gallery Bengaluru curatorial team. Conducted in both English and Kannada, these tours provided visitors with deeper insights into the themes and stories explored in CARBON. On the inaugural evening, museologist Sarah Kenderdine delivered a lecture and tutorial titled Museology in the Age of Experience, where she discussed the transformative role of cutting-edge technologies and artificial intelligence in preserving and reimagining cultural heritage. The second day saw a discussion titled Beneath the Surface: On Exhibiting Blue Carbon, featuring curator Damian Christinger and historian Jahnavi Phalkey. Together, they examined the importance of coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves and seagrasses, in combating climate change and their representation in the exhibition. The weekend concluded with Ripe for Change: Biodiverse Banana Tasting, a vibrant and interactive session by Edible Issues, a food systems collective. Participants explored diverse banana varieties while engaging in conversations about the fruit’s cultural and ecological significance. The opening weekend of CARBON brought together diverse audiences to engage with science, culture, and society in new and meaningful ways. It set the stage for the months ahead, offering a glimpse into the Gallery’s potential to inspire, educate, and spark dialogue through its exhibitions and programmes.
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Carbon Black by Anaïs Tondeur, 2017-2023. 10 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
03 THEMES AT CARBON Carbon As A Material Creatures Of Carbon Carbon And Contamination Corporeal Carbon Carbon And/In Conflict Alt C Carbon Cultures Carbon And Consumption Carbon Futures
CARBON CARBON2024 2024 // 11
CARBON AS A MATERIAL 7 Exhibits Hard, soft, shiny, sooty—the versatility of carbon is borne out by its innumerable molecular structures. From the laboratories of Nobel Laureate Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman in Bengaluru to artists’ studios across the world, explore how this material has been studied. Zoom into the nano-scale or look up at the cosmos to visualise, experience, and play with carbon.
Still from Susan Eyre’s Cosmic Chiasmus: Crossing the Universe, 2021. 12 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
Still from Susan Eyre’s Exhibit Cosmic Chiasmus: Crossing the Universe, 2021.
EXHIBITS The Nanocarbon Cocoon Fascinating Story of the Diamond Movement 1: Nanomorphology Carbon Nanoverse Cosmic Chiasmus: Crossing the Universe X-Carbon Solla Sollew
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The Nanocarbon Cocoon by NoPo Nanotechnologies, 2017.
THE NANOCARBON COCOON Year: 2017
The Nanocarbon Cocoon is a recreation of an experiment conducted by scientists at NoPo Nanotechnologies, who fed their silkworms mulberry leaves coated with carbon nanotubes. The worms then produced silk reinforced with the nanotubes, and, therefore, of greater tensile strength. They can be used not just in textiles, but also in medical sutures and parachute threading. As you observe this experiment, we invite you to consider how carbon, in both living organisms and in new age nanotechnology, comes together to create remarkable biomaterials.
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The Nanocarbon Cocoon by NoPo Nanotechnologies, 2017.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTION NoPo Nanotechnologies NoPo Nanotechnologies has been pioneering the research and development of Single walled carbon nanotubes and its applications since 2011. The company has successfully achieved industrial scale production of small diameter single walled carbon nanotubes and has been supplying for various industries since 2018 including semiconductors, electronics, EV batteries, healthcare and others.
“
Creating silk threads with carbon nanoparticles was absolutely mind-blowing—such an innovative fusion of biology and technology!” - Hari Venkatesh, Visitor
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Fascinating Story of the Diamond by RRI, 2023.
FASCINATING STORY OF THE DIAMOND Year: 2023
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How does the diamond become a physicist’s best friend? Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, Asia’s first Nobel laureate in the sciences, conducted extensive research on diamonds in the 1930s. Raman’s theory was in conflict with that of physicist Max Born, as they disagreed over the crystal dynamics of diamond. This is more than just a tale of scientists in their laboratories. Explore archival material featuring diamond merchants, maharajas, and students who flocked to Raman’s lecture halls, and you will uncover a story that extends beyond the confines of science institutions.
Archival images from the Fascinating Story of the Diamond exhibit at CARBON, 2023.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTION Raman Research Institute The Raman Research Institute was founded in 1948 by the Indian physicist and Nobel Laureate, Sir C V Raman, to continue his studies and basic research after he retired from the Indian Institute of Science. The Raman Research Institute is now an autonomous research institute engaged in research in basic sciences. Today, the main areas of research at the Institute are Astronomy & Astrophysics, Light & Matter Physics, Soft Condensed Matter, and Theoretical Physics.
“
Learning how diamonds are formed—from carbon under extreme pressure and heat— was fascinating.” - Raghunandan N , Visitor
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Movement 1: Nanomorphology by Andrea Rassell, 2018.
MOVEMENT 1: NANOMORPHOLOGY Year: 2018
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We can see, touch, and photograph carbon structures like diamonds, graphite or coal. But how do we investigate carbon at the nanoscale, which is imperceptible to the human eye and cameras alike? Using data from an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), filmmaker and artist Andrea Rassell offers us a glimpse into graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in hexagons. This multi-layered sound experience invites visitors to hear, see, and feel carbon at the nanoscale.
Movement 1: Nanomorphology by Andrea Rassell, 2018.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Andrea Rassell Andrea Rassell is a filmmaker, media artist and interdisciplinary researcher in science art. Working in nanoart — artforms that engage with nanoscience and nanotechnology — she creates experimental films and moving image installations that explore technological mediation and the multisensory perception of the sub-molecular realm. Her work has been shown at the New York Imagine Science Festival, Oaxaca FilmFest, the New Zealand International Film Festival, White Night and Sónar+D. 2020, Rassell was an artist-in-residence with Tecnológico de Monterrey and a member of the ANAT Ideate programme.
“
Experiencing Atomic Force Microscopy through beats was unexpected.” - Tanuja Joshi, Visitor
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Carbon Nanoverse by Andrea Rassell and Jacob Martin, 2023.
CARBON NANOVERSE Year: 2023
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Can you team up with technology to discover irregularities in carbon? This virtual reality experience unveils the complex structures of three widely used carbon materials—graphite, charcoal, and activated carbon. In certain conditions, these forms of carbon can deviate from their standard structures and show remarkably different properties. As you move through each structure generated by a computational microscope, you can observe the disorders in these carbon structures, which are marked in red and yellow. This collaboration between artist Andrea Rassell and material scientist Jacob Martin shows how research at the nanoscale can unveil new discoveries on carbon.
View through the VR lens, Carbon Nanoverse by Andrea Rasell and Jacob Martin, 2023.
Mediators interact with Carbon Nanoverse by Andrea Rasell and Jacob Martin, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Andrea Rassell Andrea Rassell is a filmmaker, media artist and interdisciplinary researcher in science art. Working in nanoart — artforms that engage with nanoscience and nanotechnology — she creates experimental films and moving image installations that explore technological mediation and the multisensory perception of the sub-molecular realm. Her work has been shown at the New York Imagine Science Festival, Oaxaca FilmFest, the New Zealand International Film Festival, White Night and Sónar+D. 2020, Rassell was an artist-in-residence with Tecnológico de Monterrey and a member of the ANAT Ideate programme.
Jacob Martin Jacob Martin is a carbon materials scientist and nanotechnologist that studies how we can manufacture carbon for use in the development of renewable energy. He is a physicist, chemist and chemical engineer having completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge in 2020. He then was a research fellow at the Cambridge Centre for Carbon Reduction in Chemical Technology in Singapore working with industry to decarbonise. He is a Forrest Fellow in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Curtin University in Perth, Australia working on advanced carbon materials for decarbonisation with batteries and hydrogen.
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Cosmic Chiasmus: Crossing the Universe by Susan Eyre, 2023.
COSMIC CHIASMUS: CROSSING THE UNIVERSE Year: 2021
How can we visualise the journey of cosmic rays that turn carbon dioxide into its radioactive form? Artist Susan Eyre uses a cloud chamber, high altitude balloons, and filming equipment to capture the collisions that create radioactive carbon dioxide particles. This multilayered film explores how life on earth is permeated by cosmic rays— the way they interact with the earth’s electromagnetic field, with our skin, and with carbon. Supported by the UK Government.
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Still from Cosmic Chiasmus by Susan Eyre, 2023.
Visitor interacts with Cosmic Chiasmus by Susan Eyre, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Susan Eyre Susan Eyre is an artist driven by curiosity into the mysteries of the universe. Working across video, sculpture and print, she draws from the fantastical nature of particle physics to urge a sense of wonder in the everyday and encourage an awareness of an entangled existence with our environment. She has collaborated with scientists and academics at leading Universities on cross discipline projects. Building her own cloud chamber, and running workshops for the visualisation of cosmic particles she led “Laboratory of Dark Matters”, a research, residency and events programme inspired by visiting the dark matter research facility at Boulby Underground Laboratory in the North East of England. She has been the recipient of funding from Arts Council England, The Institute of Physics and The Science and Technology Facilities Council.
“
Cosmic Chiasmus is a representation of how art and science can come together so beautifully and meaningfully.” - Sunaina Singh, Visitor
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X-Carbon by Jan Świerkowski, 2023.
X-CARBON Year: 2023
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Have you ever felt the pull of a distant, collapsing star, and the civilisations it might endanger? In the X-Carbon Universe, a rebellion is unfolding within a white dwarf. Excess matter from a neighbouring star is destabilising this failed supernova which endangers a civilization nearby. As Subhramanyan Chandrashekhar, you embark on a mission to venture into the heart of X-Carbon, capture this rebellious matter, and save lives on another planet. Explore this thrilling adventure created by artist and astronomer Jan Świerkowski, where the fate of a civilisation rests in your hands.
Mediator interacts with visitor at X-Carbon by Jan Swierkowski, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Jan Świerkowski Jan Świerkowski is an artist, scientist, and curator, acclaimed as the Science Popularizer of the Year in Poland 2018. He is the visionary founder of the international art & science ensemble, Instytut B61. Serving as the curator and scriptwriter of Cosmic Underground, a groundbreaking art & science collaborative cargo train journey from Tallinn to Lisbon, funded by the European Commission, Swierkowski has demonstrated a unique fusion of disciplines. Notably, he is the producer of the Portal Diaries, an innovative art & science adventure series designed for Instagram, commissioned by the European Commission. Holding an MA in Astrophysics from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun (2010) and a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies titled “Translating the Invisible: Conceptual Blending in Art and Science” from the Catholic University of Portugal and the University of Copenhagen (2021), Swierkowski’s expertise spans the intersection of art and science. CARBON 2024 / 25
Solla Sollew by Shanthamani Muddaiah, 2023
SOLLA SOLLEW Year: 2023
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How do we navigate a world where solutions to environmental problems often bring new challenges? Where, for example, exhibitions on climate change may themselves have a high carbon footprint? In Solla Sollew, artist Shanthamani Muddaiah asks us to, quite literally, negotiate our way forward. In the gallery space, visitors are invited to contour their bodies through this installation. It prompts us to reflect on the disruption of Earth’s ecological balance, for which there are no straightforward solutions.
Visitors walkthrough Solla Sollew by Shanthamni Muddaiah, 2023.
Installation view of Solla Sollew by Shanthamani Muddaiah, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Shanthamani Muddaiah Shanthamani Muddaiah was born in Mysore, Karnataka, India in 1967. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Painting from Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts, Mysore University, India. Her Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Painting is from M.S. University, Baroda, India. In 2004, she was in Glasgow, Scotland for a paper-making course under the Charles Wallace Scholarship. Between 2006 to 2008 and 2014 to 2016, she received both Junior and Senior research grants under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India. In 2017 she was invited for an artist residency program in Cité Des Arts, under The Ministry of Culture, France. In 2019, Muddaiah was invited to do a community project in Settle, Yorkshire, UK.
“
To me, the representation of climate change through Solla Sollew is one of the most powerful forms of climate activism.” - Gayathri Narasimhan, Visitor
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CREATURES OF CARBON 7 Exhibits Carbon is embedded in everything—from the origin of life on earth to the breath each organism takes. Uncover the carbon hidden in our world through playful and provocative experiments. Immerse yourself in the natural world to experience the life of a tree, explore a mangrove ecosystem, or listen to chimpanzees communicating with each other.
Still from (Understanding) Mangrove Carbon by Technology for Wildlife Foundation, Gayatri Kodikal, Himanshi Parmar, and Svabhu Kohli, 2022–2023. 28 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
EXHIBITS Foresta Inclusive (ex)tending towards Jīvāṇu (Understanding) Mangrove Carbon Triggered by Motion Whale Falls, Carbon Sinks Deep Weather Who’s Calling Can you Hear
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Foresta Inclusive (Ex)tending Towards by Jane Tingley, 2020–2023.
FORESTA INCLUSIVE (EX)TENDING TOWARDS Year: 2020–2023
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How do we visualise the delicate dance of trees? In Foresta Inclusive (ex)tendingtowards, artist Jane Tingley uses digital technologies to sense and interpret a hidden experience of trees. We have eco-sensors attached to a tree at Science Gallery Bengaluru, which tracks its interactions with the environment. The data collected includes particulate matter in the air, wind speed, carbon dioxide levels, rain, and light gathered from the tree’s immediate surroundings. This installation, borne out of the data, offers us an appreciation of the vitality of the natural world.
Mediator interacts with visitors at Foresta Inclusive by Jane Tingely, 2023.
Pods installed on a tree in the gallery, Foresta Inclusive by Jane Tingley, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Jane Tingley Jane Tingley is an artist, curator, director of the Sympoietic Living Ontologies Lab (SLOlab) and Associate Professor at York University in Toronto, Canada. Her studio work combines traditional studio practice with new media tools—and spans responsive/ interactive installation, performative robotics, and telematically connected distributed sculptures/installations. Her works are interdisciplinary in nature and explore the creation of spaces and experiences that push the boundaries between science and magic, interactivity and playfulness, and offer an experience to the viewer that is accessible both intellectually and technologically. Using distributed technologies, her current work investigates the hidden complexity found in the natural world and explores the deep interconnections between the human and non-human relationships.
“
Foresta Inclusive shows that carbon doesn’t have to be seen as a negative entity. Most of our conversations around carbon focus on reducing emissions or capturing it, which is important, but we also need to consider carbon in all its forms.” - Aditi Rao, Visitor
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Jīvāṇu by Nayan Chakraborty and Shashi Thutupalli, 2023.
JῙVᾹṆU Year: 2023
From the 1950s to the 1970s, chemists Krishna Bahadur and S. Ranganayaki conducted experiments at the University of Allahabad to explore the spontaneous origins of life-like properties from simple chemical mixtures or ‘abiotic soups’ containing carbon-based organic molecules, ammonia, phosphates and mineral salts. Exposing this ‘soup’ to sunlight resulted in the emergence of spherical units, dubbed as ‘jeewanu’. Bahadur and Ranganayaki claimed that the ‘jeewanu’ exhibited properties— metabolism, growth and division—crucial to primitive forms of life. These experiments have largely gone unnoticed and their claims are yet to be established unambiguously which calls for revisiting the research project. Witness the snapshots of this recreated ‘jeewanu’ experiment to ask: what makes life, and what role does carbon play in the origin of life?
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Process images from the creation of Jivanu by Shashi Thutupalli and Nayan Chakraborty, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Nayan Chakraborty
Shashi Thutupalli
Nayan Chakraborty’s diverse interests guide him through various fields in search of intriguing patterns. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the Simons Centre for the Study of Living Machines, located within the National Centre for Biological Sciences at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bangalore, India, Nayan focuses on the enigmatic origins of life and complex systems. Alongside his academic endeavors, he serves as a chemistry consultant for law firms collaborating with the Third World Network, a global NGO dedicated to enhancing access to medicine. In his leisure time, Nayan finds joy in exploring new destinations, whether within the pages of a book or through the harmonies of a song.
Shashi Thutupalli is presently affiliated with the Simons Centre for the Study of Living Machines at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bangalore, India. In 2011, he earned his Ph.D. in physics, specializing in active matter, from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and SelfOrganization in Germany. Following this, he undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University. Since 2015, Thutupalli has been leading a curiosity-driven research program in India, exploring topics related to the physics of active and living systems. His research particularly delves into the interplay between eco-evolutionary processes and emergent mechanics.
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(Understanding) Mangrove Carbon by Technology for Wildlife Foundation, Gayatri Kodikal, Himanshi Parmar, and Svabhu Kohli, 2022–2023.
can we appreciate, study, and (UNDERSTANDING) How conserve remote ecosystems? MANGROVE Carbon’s crucial role in different environments often goes unnoticed, CARBON especially in dense and harsh
Year: 2022–2023
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ecosystems like mangroves. Here, art, data, and geospatial technologies immerse you into the diverse and rich world of mangroves. A magical realm, an abstract painting, data-derived maps—all explore a mangrove’s complex relationship with carbon, ecology, and people.
Mangrove Odyssey by Svabhu Kohli from (Understanding) Mangrove Carbon, 2023.
Still from (Understanding) Mangrove Carbon by Technology for Wildlife Foundation, Gayatri Kodikal, Himanshi Parmar, and Svabhu Kohli, 2022–2023.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTION
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Technology for Wildlife Foundation
Gayatri Kodikal
The Technology for Wildlife Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in Goa, India, is dedicated to enhancing conservation impact through the strategic application of appropriate technology. Leveraging extensive research, experience, and inclusive stakeholder consultations, they acquire conservation-relevant data from satellites, fieldwork, and their own fleet of aerial and underwater robots. Their mission involves integrating, simplifying, and visualising this data to empower conservation actors in making informed decisions that shape the future of the planet. Passionate about applying technology and open innovation to advance 21st-century conservation efforts, the foundation envisions a future where technology is ethically harnessed for wildlife and environmental preservation. With expertise in robotics, geospatial analysis, artificial intelligence, and augmented/virtual reality, they conduct research and implement projects at the convergence of these domains.
Gayatri Kodikal explores the intersections of game design, performance, psychogeography, cinema, and oral storytelling, infusing her work with specific historical contexts, animism, and spatial memories. Himanshi Parmar Himanshi Parmar is a versatile creative specialising in brand design and strategy for social impact organisations, embraces an interdisciplinary approach to foster a sense of childlike wonder through her work. Svabhu Kohli Svabhu Kohli’s practice intertwines magical realism, conservation, and art, offering experiential narratives that delve into our connection with intricate life forms, influenced by indigenous, political, and scientific narratives. CARBON 2024 / 35
Triggered by Motion by Katharina Weikl and the Triggered by Motion Research Network, 2022.
TRIGGERED BY MOTION Year: 2022
Triggered by Motion is developed by scholar Katharina Weikl in collaboration with an international network of scholars and citizen scientists. A year’s worth of data from 21 conservation projects is turned into 20-minute films that switch between day, night, and the changing seasons. As the climate crisis deepens, these films document the changing patterns of wildlife, underscoring the need to conserve these ecosystems. Supported by the University of Zurich and Swissnex in India.
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Installation view of Triggered by Motion by Katharine Weikl and the Triggered by Motion Research Network, 2023.
Visitors interacting with Triggered by Motion by Katharine Weikl and the Triggered by Motion Research Network, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
ABOUT THE INSTITUTION
Katharina Weikl
Triggered by Motion Research Network
Katharina Weikl, a Swiss-German curator, filmmaker, and science communicator, holds a Ph.D. in the history of science from HU Berlin. Currently serving as the Deputy Director of the Graduate Campus at the University of Zurich, she is dedicated to supporting young scientists, fostering transdisciplinary collaboration, and engaging in public dialogue. Weikl, in her role as a curator, actively promotes the intersection of science and art. Notable exhibitions she has curated include “Planet Digital” at the Museum für Gestaltung in 2022, “100 Ways of Thinking” at Kunsthalle Zürich in 2018, and “Transactions” at Manifesta 11 in 2016. Her work reflects a commitment to bridging the gap between scientific inquiry and artistic expression.
Triggered by Motion Research Network is a network of international researchers and scientists working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biodiversity.
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Whale Falls, Carbon Sinks by Carbon Aesthetics Group, 2023.
WHALE FALLS, CARBON SINKS Year: 2022-2023
Whale Falls, Carbon Sinks is an immersive installation emerging from the research of the Carbon Aesthetics Group, which brings together artists and scholars who explore carbon. Visitors catch a whiff of the vast oceans that whales traverse, and sense the burning of whale oil in this exhibit about the inextricably intertwined natural and cultural history of whales. In this version of Whale Falls, Carbon Sinks, a digital collage shows the natural and cultural history of whales.
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Still from Whale Falls, Carbon Sinks by Carbon Aesthetics Group, 2023.
Whale oil sample from Whale Falls, Carbon Sinks by Carbon Aesthetics Group, 2023.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTION Carbon Aesthetics Group Carbon Aesthetics Group is Desiree Foerster, Andrés Burbano, Myriel Milicevic, Alex Toland, Clemens Winkler and Karolina Sobecka. The group brings together artists and researchers who turn to the material and the elemental, as well as to the imaginaries and common representations of the interrelations of the biochemical and technological processes inherent to the carbon cycle. The group members foreground emphasis on relations that constitute objects, which allow the movement of materials, and thus form the infrastructure for our meaningful interactions with the world.
“
I had no idea whales were such massive carbon sinks—it’s incredible to realize how vital they are in the climate cycle.” - Siddarth Kankaria, Visitor
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Deep Weather by Ursula Biemann, 2013.
DEEP WEATHER Year: 2013
How does our relentless pursuit of oil trigger profound changes on a planetary scale? Deep Weather is a video essay that takes us on a visual journey from Canada’s oil sands to Bangladesh’s flood-threatened plains. In linking the two remote sites, artist Ursula Biemann addresses the cause-andeffect relationship of global warming and highlights the interconnectedness of earth systems. The work reveals how fossil fuel extraction in Northern Canada pushes vulnerable populations in Bangladesh to adapt to rising sea levels and extreme weather events. Supported by Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, New Delhi.
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Stills from Deep Weather by Ursula Biemman, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Ursula Biemann Ursula Biemann is a Swiss artist and theorist, whose practice centres on fieldwork, often in Indigenous territories, and the creation of networks between different fields of knowledge. Her artistic practice reflects on the political ecologies of forests, oil and water, creating through her videos, books and installations critical perspectives on the dynamics of extraction and also proposing alternative, ecocentric modes of ecological and epistemological relatedness. She published the online monograph Becoming Earth on ten years of her ecological video works and writing and the book Forest Mind - On the Interconnection of All Life with Spector Books.
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Who’s Calling Can You Hear by Nikki Buzzi, 2022.
WHO’S CALLING CAN YOU HEAR Year: 2022
How can the study of wild chimpanzees prompt us to rethink our connection with the natural world around us? Camera traps in Nimba, Guinea, have documented chimpanzees drumming to communicate with each other. Focusing on these acoustic artefacts, artist Nikki Buzzi offers us a way to understand humans, non-humans, and our environment—all fundamentally connected by carbon. Supported by Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, New Delhi.
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Visitors interact with Who's Calling, Can You Hear by Nikki Buzzi, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Nikki Buzzi Nikki Buzzi is a composer, performer and sound artist based in Zurich, Switzerland and Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Their work spans various fields including music, installation art, media art, performing arts, film and education. They hold an MA in Electroacoustic Composition and currently act as Technical Director of the Studio for Electronic Music and Acoustics at the HfMDK Frankfurt. Buzzi focuses on the potential of appropriation and the use of advanced technological knowledge to negotiate and disarm historical ballast of cultural practices that are rooted in the timelines of European art music. Their solo and collaborative practice produces artefacts that are often site-specific, performance-oriented, and closely related to acoustic phenomena and perception mechanisms.
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CARBON AND CONTAMINATION 3 Exhibits Our consumption-driven lifestyles have permanently changed the air around us. Carbon’s smoky imprint stains Bengaluru’s skies. Discover how artists and scientists are capturing, extracting and visualising these airborne particles which quietly suffocate us.
Anaïs Tondeur’s photographic series Carbon Black, 2017-2023. 44 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
EXHIBITS The Mycobloc Chair Territorial Inhalations Carbon Black
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The Mycobloc Chair by Maria Joseph and Nuvedo, 2022.
THE MYCOBLOC CHAIR Year: 2022
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New life grows on a discarded plastic Monobloc chair in the bustling streets of Bengaluru. Maria Joseph’s artistic approach and the techniques developed at Nuvedo by fungi experts, have transformed the chair into a bio-fabricated wonder. The Reishi mycelium multiply on ragi straw, an agricultural byproduct, and enfold the chair. The Mycobloc Chair serves as a reminder to question our wasteful consumption.
Installtion view of The Mycobloc Chair by Maria Joseph Visitor interacts with a mediator at The Mycobloc and Nuvedo, 2023. Chair by Maria Joseph and Nuvedo, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
ABOUT THE INSTITUTION
Maria Joseph
Nuvedo
Maria Joseph is a versatile product designer engaged in diverse projects, spanning material development, mass-produced items, technology-driven solutions, and craftoriented outputs. With a penchant for initiating interdisciplinary collaborations, she envisions the synergy of science and design to yield empathetic and ecologically conscious results. Joseph is committed to leveraging design research for creating interventions that envision sustainable indigenous practices in the future. Currently pursuing her Master’s in Design Futures at the Royal College of Art in London, her areas of interest encompass Open Design, Manufacturing, Participatory Design, Speculative Design, Biomaterial Applications, and Service Design.
Nuvedo is a functional mushroom brand based in Bangalore, on a mission to bring the healing benefits of the transformative power of mushrooms to people. They aim to shed light on the ecological impact of fungi and the broader significance of mycelium as a critique of anthropocentrism in the future.
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Mycobloc helped me understand the impact of carbon on the environment.” - Aasaavari Mohana, Visitor
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Territorial Inhalations by Ana Laura Cantera, 2020-2023.
TERRITORIAL INHALATIONS Year: 2020-2023
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How does an artist, armed with a backpack and fungi, understand the quality of our air? In Territorial Inhalations artist Ana Laura Cantera explores the air we breathe in cities like Bengaluru and Buenos Aires. A backpack, equipped with fungi-based biomaterial filters and an electronic system, captures tiny airborne particles as the artist walks with it through the city. Over time, these filters change colour, exposing the hidden pollutants under seemingly clear skies. These transformed filters serve a dual purpose: to make pollutants that are invisible to the human eye visible, and to form a modern cyanometer used to measure the colour of the sky.
Visitor interacts with a mediator at Territorial Inhalations by Ana Laura Cantera, 2023.
Installation view of Territorial Inhalations by Ana Laura Cantera, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Ana Laura Cantera Ana Laura Cantera is a transmedia artist, researcher and professor. She works at the intersection of art, technology, science, and sustainability from a decolonial perspective. She is currently a PhD candidate in Arts and Techno-aesthetics and has a Master’s degree in Electronic Arts at National University of Tres de Febrero, a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts and a degree as Art Teacher at University of Arts (UNA). Cantera is a developer and creator of biomaterials, specialising in designs grown from mushroom mycelium and in bio-based materials made with local waste. Recently, she received the First Prize Itaú in the Robotic Arts category and the Global Community Bio Fellows fellowship at MIT. She also leads research projects linked to bio-interactivity and 3D bio-printing. She has exhibited her artworks in exhibitions and festivals across the world.
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Territorial Inhalations really stood out to me among all the works in the exhibition. Visually mapping the air we breathe gave me a lot to think about.” - Priya S, Visitor CARBON 2024 / 49
Carbon Black by Anaïs Tondeur, Photographic Series, 2017-2023.
CARBON BLACK Year: 2017–2023
Carbon Black features four portraits of the skies in Bengaluru and Fair Isle, inked with carbon black particles from the semicombustion of hydrocarbons captured in the two locations. To bring these imperceptible particles to life, artist Anaïs Tondeur wears a mask that filters carbon black particles which, when turned into ink, are used to print the photographs. Collaborating with atmospheric scientists Rita van Dingenen and Jean-Philippe Putaud, Tondeur pinpoints the emission source of carbon black particles. When these particles can travel thousands of miles, how do we trace the global repercussions of carbon emissions? In Bengaluru, Tondeur strolled through commercial areas and green spaces with a group of young adults, capturing photographs of the skies in these locations. Here, you can see a composite image of Bengaluru skies created from these photographs.
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Visitor at Carbon Black by Anais Tondeur, 2023.
Carbon ink print of Fair Isle Harbour by Anais Tondeur, 2017.
Visitors interact with a mediator at Carbon Black by Anais Tondeur, 2023.
Installation view of vials at Carbon Black by Anais Tondeur, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Anaïs Tondeur Merging natural sciences and anthropology, myth-making, and new media, visual artist Anaïs Tondeur’s practice is anchored in ecology thought. Creating installations, photographs, or videos, she seeks a new aesthetic, in the sense of a renewal of our modes of perception, to find other conditions of being in the world. She has been an artist-in-residence in several art centres and scientific laboratories, which include LeCentQuatre-Grand Paris Express (2018 – 2019), Artlink (Ireland, 2019), the Museum of Arts et Métiers (Paris, 2018 – 2017), and the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES, Paris, 2016).
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This work really made me think—how the air in a place could serve as a signature to reveal so much more about that place and beyond.” - Debraj Manna, Visitor
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CORPOREAL CARBON 3 Exhibits We are what we consume. Each carb-rich morsel we eat adds carbon into us. But how does the same carbon present in graphite, also create our beating heart and thinking mind? Dissect and weigh the role of this element in shaping the human body.
Raqs Media Collective’s The Coarse Fabric of Being Human, 2021. 52 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
EXHIBITS In the Making of Self Allotropy of Mine The Coarse Fabric of Being Human
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In the Making of Self by Arunkumar HG, 2021.
IN THE MAKING OF SELF Year: 2021
This 10-foot sculpture by artist Arunkumar H G towers over us as a testament to our fraught relationship with carbon. The wood in this always unfinished monument is sourced from an industrial scrapyard—alluding to our dangerous play with carbon, be it deforestation, energy use, or reckless wastage. In the Making of Self cobbles together an incomplete human out of wood discarded because of indiscriminate consumption. This sculpture invites us to consider how carbon inhabits us, satiates us, and injures us on this planet.
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Installation view of In the Making of Self by Arunkumar HG, 2023.
Detail of In the Making of Self by Arunkumar HG, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Arunkumar H G Arunkumar H G earned his Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Fine Arts (Sculpture) from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in 1993 and 1995. In 2014, he established the Centre for Knowledge and Environment in the Western Ghats region of Karnataka, India. Renowned for his solo exhibitions such as “Con-struction” at Gallery Espace, New Delhi, and “Seed of Reckoning ‘’ at Mumbai Art Room, Arunkumar has showcased his works globally. Notable group exhibitions include New Natures: A Terrible Beauty is Born at MMB Mumbai, Kochi Muziris Biennale, and Embrace Our Rivers at Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan Chennai. Arunkumar H.G’s artistic journey intertwines with environmental stewardship, evident in his multifaceted exhibitions and impactful residencies, making a significant mark in the contemporary art scene. CARBON 2024 / 55
Allotropy of Mine by Daniela Brill Estrada, 2018.
ALLOTROPY OF MINE Year: 2018
Carbon makes up 18% of our body mass. Artist Daniela Brill Estrada draws on this fact to compose her self-reflective work. Each glass bottle illustrates the amount of carbon contained in the different tissues, organs, and molecules of her own body. Is there a difference between the carbon atoms in the glass bottles and the ones inside our body? How do we understand our body through carbon?
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Visitors at Allotropy of Mine by Daniela Brill Estrada, 2023.
Installation view of Allotropy of Mine by Daniela Brill Estrada, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Daniela Brill Estrada Daniela Brill Estrada is an artist born in Bogotá, who currently lives and works in Vienna. Her creative processes are informed by her interest in sciences of complexity, aesthetics, and non-hierarchical structures of knowledge, and based on the idea of in-disciplinarity, constructed collaboratively with the Suratómica Network, which she cocreated and currently co-organises. Brill works in collaboration with scientific institutions and networks, such as the ORIGIN network of high-energy physics at CERN, and with artistic institutions, such as the ArtSci Center + Lab UCLA. Currently, she is a PhD researcher for the project DIGI-Sense at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria.
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Learning about carbon and its proportion in the human body was eye-opening.” - Senthilkumar Radhakrishnan, Visitor CARBON 2024 / 57
The Coarse Fabric of Being Human by Raqs Media Collective’s, 2021.
THE COARSE FABRIC OF BEING HUMAN Year: 2021
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What if we could distil the essence of the human body into a single, extraordinary molecule? The Coarse Fabric of Being Human created by Raqs Media Collective renders this concept into hand-tufted carpets. Each piece of fabric represents an element in this hypothetical molecule. Drawing from a speculative construction called the Sterner-Elser Molecular Formula, this exhibit asks us to think about what constitutes us, as molecular collectives, and as a species.
Visitors with a mediator at The Coarse Fabric of Being Human by Raqs Media Collective, 2023.
ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE Raqs Media Collective Formed in 1992 by Jeebesh Bagchi, Monica Narula, and Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Raqs Media Collective derives its name from the concept of ‘raqs,’ signifying an intensified state of awareness achieved through revolution and turning. For Raqs, this translates into ‘kinetic contemplation’ and an active engagement with the world. Utilising diverse media, including installation, sculpture, video, and curation, they transform objects into tools for exploring time. Operating at the intersection of contemporary art, philosophy, and historical inquiry, Raqs has a global presence. Their work finds them at the intersection of contemporary art, philosophical speculation and historical enquiry. Based in Delhi, they co-founded the Sarai program, curated exhibitions like the Shanghai Biennale 2016, and served as Artistic Directors for the Yokohama Triennale 2020.
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CARBON AND CONFLICT 3 Exhibits Who gets to reap the benefits of the carbon we extract? In a world economy fuelled by petroleum and coal, people—and our planet—pay the price of development. Question what we lose in the continuous fight to capture and release carbon.
Still from Ronny Sen’s Exhibit Fire Continuum, 2014. 60 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
EXHIBITS Fire Continuum A Peal of Spring Thunder Ex-Humus
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Fire Continuum by Ronny Sen, 2014.
FIRE CONTINUUM Year: 2014
A fire has been burning in the opencast coalfields of Jharia, Jharkhand, for more than a century. Homes and schools, temples and mosques— places that were thriving with life now lie consumed by flames. In focussing his lens on Jharia, photographer Ronny Sen illuminates the environmental degradation that has made life here uninhabitable. The photographs provide snatches of a people without a future—a community forced to plunder coal while navigating an apocalyptic landscape.
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Fire Continuum by Ronny Sen, 2014.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Ronny Sen Ronny Sen is a film director, screenwriter, and photographer based in Kolkata. His debut feature film Cat Sticks world-premiered in the competition section at Slamdance in 2019, and won a Jury award. He has directed television documentaries for the BBC. He started his career as a photographer and has made two artist books, Khmer Din (2013) and End of Time (2016). He was invited to be an artist in residence in Japan by the Japan Foundation in 2013 and in Poland by the Polish Institute in 2016. He received the Getty Images Instagram Grant in 2016 for his work in the Jharia coal mines which were shown in his debut solo exhibition in 2018 titled Fire Continuum at the gallery Tarq in Mumbai. His works are included in the permanent collection of the Alkazi Collection of Photography.
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The continual fires across Jharia really struck me—it made me see how everything is interconnected.” - Lewis Hou, Visitor CARBON 2024 / 63
A Peal of Spring Thunder by Ishan Tankha, 2023.
A PEAL OF SPRING THUNDER Year: 2016–2018
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What can coal’s journey—from the mines of Chhattisgarh to the lights that power your home—tell us about the politics of resource extraction? Over eight years, photojournalist Ishan Tankha has documented the impact of coal, iron, and bauxite mining on indigenous communities in Central India. These communities are caught in a conflict between Maoist soldiers and a state which prioritises natural resources. The photographs here bear witness to the lives, labour, and daily interactions of people who create a home within this challenging terrain.
Installation view of A Peal of Spring Thunder by Ishan Tankha, 2023.
A Peal of Spring Thunder by Ishan Tankha, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Ishan Tankha Ishan Tankha, an independent photographer based in New Delhi, captures the intricate tapestry of India’s complexities. From marginalised states’ separatist movements to capital protests and the impact of climate change on remote villages, Tankha delves into the crossroads of major events and national politics. His work, featured in esteemed publications like Le Monde, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian, reflects a keen focus on everyday life amid tumultuous circumstances. Tankha, a founding member of Goa Photo, has contributed as a consultant photo editor for ‘Witness: Kashmir 1986-2016’ (2017). With a background as a staff photographer for leading Indian publications and former photo editor at Tehelka, his exhibitions span prestigious venues worldwide, including the Kochi Muziris Biennale, Noorderlicht Photo Festival, and Berlinale 2019.
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The discussion on coal mining and its impact on people’s lives ally highlighted the consequences of the extraction process.” - Rajiv R, Visitor
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Ex-Humus by Alexander Nikolsky, Photographic Series, 2022.
EX-HUMUS Year: 2022
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How does the pursuit of natural resources like oil and coal transform the ground beneath our feet? Artist Alexander Nikolsky lives in the coal-rich Kuzbass region of Western Siberia, where the ravages of mining are apparent. His work focuses on soil in this region, revealing a causeand-effect relationship: as coal is mined in one area, sinkholes emerge elsewhere, glaciers melt, and the permafrost transforms. Using black and white film, these photographs blur the lines between the past and present, portraying how mining continues to sculpt and reshape landscapes.
Ex-Humus by Alexander Nikolsky, 2023.
Installation view of Ex-Humus by Alexander Nikolsky, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Alexander Nikolsky Alexander Nikolsky is an artist, curator, researcher, and educator hailing from the coal-rich Kuzbass region in Western Siberia. Specialising in photography, video, and objects, his work is grounded in the philosophical realms of “dark ecology” and “flat ontologies.” Nikolsky investigates the interplay between humans, objects, and nature, envisioning physical space, objects, and human practices as dynamic and equitable contributors to these interactions.
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Public awareness about pollution caused by fossil fuels is still far too limited. There’s a real need for more efforts to educate people about the many forms of pollution linked to fossil fuel abuse and related issues.” - Hareesh M N, Visitor
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ALT C 2 Exhibits Carbon’s existence can be traced from the vacuums of space to the endless abyss of the metaverse. But in today’s digital-first world, it is often intangible. From satellite data to digital art—what goes on behind screens and servers? Uncover how carbon powers our technology in ways we never imagined.
Digital Consumption by Edson Reyna and Luis Contreras, 2022. 68 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
EXHIBITS Clouds Above, Clouds Below Digital Consumption
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Clouds Above, Clouds Below by Annelie Berner, 2021.
CLOUDS ABOVE, CLOUDS BELOW Year: 2021
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In Clouds Above, Clouds Below, designer Annelie Berner explores visualisations created using opensource code to reveal the entanglement of the atmospheric and digital clouds (internet servers) around us. Since atmospheric clouds can reflect heat from the sun, research on them is critical in times of the climate crisis. Paradoxically, running the digital cloud, which enables this research, drives up carbon emissions. How then do we unpack the interconnectedness of these two clouds? As clouds in the sky transform, how will our digital infrastructures—from internet cables to server farms—be impacted?
Still from Clouds Above, Clouds Below by Annelie Berner, 2023.
Installation view of Clouds Above, Clouds Below by Annelie Berner, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Annelie Berner Annelie Berner is an independent designer and researcher. In her work, she uses data visualisation, experience design and futurescaping to bridge science, academia and the public. She works on research topics that range from ethics of new technologies to climate science. She has won multiple honours in the Core77 Design Awards and has exhibited projects at the Smithsonian Museum, World Health Organisation, Red Bull Arts and Ars Electronica among others.
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In Clouds Above, Clouds Below, science meets art and makes data poetic.” - Amruta Chirasmita, Visitor
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Digital Consumption by Edson Reyna and Luis Contreras, 2022.
DIGITAL CONSUMPTION Year: 2022
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How do Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) affect the physical world? NFTs born of the digital realm, consume significant energy and emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide. In Digital Consumption, a computer program uses data on global carbon dioxide emissions to morph a miner’s photo into a haze of black and grey. The artists Edson Alberto Reyna Gurrola and Luis Contreras comment thus on the industrialisation of their hometown, Monterrey, Mexico. The final mosaic of photos enmeshes both—the mining of NFTs, and the physical mines that power them.
Digital Consumption by Edson Reyna and Luis Contreras, 2022.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Edson Reyna and Luis Contreras Edson Reyna and Luis Contreras are biotechnology engineering graduates from Tecnológico de Monterrey University in México. They are bio-artists and members of the Bioart Steering Group at International Genetically Engineered Machine (IGEM) and members of the Laboratory of Art Science and Technology. Their work is related to the intersection of biotechnology techniques with arts to create conscience about our world and see synthetic biology as an opportunity for design.
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CARBON CULTURES 3 Exhibits Carbon is woven into the fabric of our lives. Entire communities have been formed and shaped around its extraction and use, which has inspired a host of cultural expressions. Explore how charcoal artists might wield this material, or how coal workers describe their experience of mining the black rock.
Stolen Horizons by Prabhakar Pachpute, 2023. 74 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
EXHIBITS Stolen Horizons Of Machines and Men The Mineworkers’ Song
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Stolen Horizons by Prabhakar Pachpute, 2023.
STOLEN HORIZONS Year: 2023
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Stolen Horizons, a charcoal mural, presents a tapestry of our relationship with carbon. Artist Prabhakar Pachpute, from the mining town of Sasti, Maharashtra, delves into the strange and dangerous impacts of excavation. Each layer of the mural—the animals, boat, cliffside and tunnels—asks us to consider the coalbed of memories that lay etched on our soil, people, and objects.
Installation View of Stolen Horizons by Prabhakar Pachpute, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Prabhakar Pachpute Prabhakar Pachpute’s artistic practice delves into the challenging realities of his hometown Chandrapur in Maharashtra, known as ‘the city of black gold,’ addressing issues of relentless excavation, unequal social development, and land politics. Hailing from a lineage of three generations of mine workers, Pachpute’s intricate drawings, animations, and use of charcoal directly connect to his familial roots. Employing a diverse array of mediums such as drawing, light, stop-motion animations, sound, and sculpture, he crafts immersive, site-specific works that confront mining labour issues and their impact on both natural landscapes and human lives. With a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Indira Kala Sangit University and an Master of Fine Arts from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Pachpute’s work has been exhibited at venues like Tate, St. Ives, and the 31st São Paulo Biennial, among many others. CARBON 2024 / 77
Of Machines and Men by Mitter Bedi and T.S. Sathyan, 2021.
OF MACHINES AND MEN
With snapshots of colossal industries and toiling workers, these photographs highlight petroleum, coke, and coal gas which powered India’s industrialisation.
Year: 2021
In Mitter Bedi’s work, industrial plants loom over us, foreshadowing the consequences of unchecked energy use. T.S. Sathyan, on the other hand, focuses his lens on two mineworkers, who become emblematic of the human labour it takes to power our industries. The narratives of industry and labour converge, portraying the elements that have forged India’s industrial landscape.
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Miners, Kolar Gold Mine, Karnataka by T. S. Satyan, 1972. Courtesy of the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP).
Dhuvaran Power Station by Mitter Bedi, 1964. Courtesy of the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP).
ABOUT THE ARTISTS Mitter Bedi
T.S. Satyan
An Indian photographer best known for his industrial photography, Mitter Bedi was commissioned by several public and private enterprises, and extensively photographed projects across industries such as steel, oil, mining, hospitality, sugar while also photographing for the film and fashion industry, along with advertising. His stark images in black and white record a significant period of Nehruvian India, and demonstrate an expansion of the genre of industrial photography, wherein images were not just functional and representational, but also artistic. His photographs reveal a close study and relationship between his subject and its form: whether through its shape, design, or geometry.
Tambrahalli Subramanya Satyanarayana Iyer, better known as T.S. Satyan, stands among India’s earliest career photojournalists. Renowned for his black and white photography, he captured iconic personalities, pivotal moments in South Asian history, and the everyday life of twentieth-century India. Beyond aesthetics, Satyan used his lens to advocate for child welfare, education, and medical advancements. He believed fervently in the camera’s role as an unbiased chronicler of the times, a principle he steadfastly upheld throughout his career. Satyan’s work not only documents the visual history of India but also reflects his commitment to social issues, making him a significant figure in the evolution of Indian photojournalism.
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The Mineworker’s Song by Dhiraj Kumar Nite, 2023.
THE MINEWORKER’S SONG Year: 2023
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Mining in India’s largest coalfield of Jharia has made coal central to the lives of communities that precariously depend on it. But what do we truly understand of the experiences and desires of the coal miners? Drawn from social scientist Dhiraj Kumar Nite’s research, we hear a song composed by mineworker and playwright Pillo Deshwal. Alongside a memorial to the martyrs of mineworking disasters, it offers us a glimpse into the laborious life of a coal miner. As you listen to the song, you can also read an essay by Nite which discusses the role of art in mining communities.
Visitors interact with The Mineworkers' Song by Dhiraj Kumar Nite, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Dhiraj Kumar Nite Dhiraj Kumar Nite (Dr, PhD) is a social scientist at Ambedkar University Delhi, India and a Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He specialises in the history of wellbeing, labour relations, and entrepreneurship. His PhD in Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, is titled ‘Work and Culture on the Mines: An Indian Coalfield (Jharia) 1895-1970’. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Linnaeus University, Sweden, and the University of Johannesburg. Among his publications are ‘The Aspiration for a “Civilised”, “Human” and “Dignified” Life: An enquiry into sociability, sociality, and wellbeing of migrants in an Indian coalfield’ (2021), ‘Employee Benefits, Migration and Social Movement: An Indian Coalfield, 18951970’(2019), ‘Negotiating the Mines: The Culture of Safety in the Indian Coalmines, 1895-1970’(2019).
Presently, he has been enquiring into the construction sector, skill development and wellbeing in nineteenth-century western India.
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The exhibit highlights the impact of mining on the lives of communities.” - Rajiv R, Visitor
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CARBON AND CONSUMPTION 7 Exhibits How has our consumption of carbon—from plastics to gasoline—helped and harmed us? Potential solutions to climate change are being proposed even as we continue to dig, drill, and burn carbon. Explore how carbon-based energy is central to our society—through our land, labour, and lifestyles.
Energy Slave Tokens by DISNOVATION.ORG, 2020. 82 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
EXHIBITS Extra! Extra! Coal, Petrol, Kerosene Carbon Takes Flight Energy Slave Tokens Peak Oil Hydrocarbons Coal Power Plant Streichhӧlzer. (Matches.)
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Archival Images from Extra! Extra! Coal, Petrol, Kerosene, 2023.
EXTRA! EXTRA! COAL, PETROL, KEROSENE Archival Images
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Take a look at these advertisements of yester-years; advertisements that encourage you to buy cheaper petrol for your car, or perhaps a kerosene-powered refrigerator. These advertisements published in the early and mid-twentieth century are from the archives of The Times of India. What can these advertisements tell us about how fossil fuels came to be central to our life of ever increasing consumption?
Visitor interacts with Extra! Extra! Coal, Petrol, Kerosene, 2023.
Detail view of Extra! Extra! Coal, Petrol, Kerosene, 2023.
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The exhibit made me understand the importance of staying alert to our individual consumerist footprint” - Sastri Rama, Visitor CARBON 2024 / 85
Carbon Takes Flight by Roddam Narasimha, Suresh Madhusudan Deshpande, Chandrashekarappa Praveen Belur Raghavan Rakshith, 2023.
CARBON TAKES FLIGHT Year: 2010
Carbon Takes Flight is a model of a unique propeller and wing design created by a group of scientists and engineers at research institutions in Bengaluru. The design is intended to reduce the drag produced by an aircraft, thereby decreasing its fuel consumption and subsequently the carbon footprint of air travel. First designed using mathematical analysis, and subsequently tested at a wind tunnel in the Indian Institute of Science, this propeller and wing design was patented in 2010. Does this model prompt you to think of how design innovation can balance the equilibrium between the exhilaration of flight and the urgency of responsible fuel usage?
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Patent wing design from Carbon Takes Flight, 2023.
Carbon Takes Flight by Roddam Narasimha, Suresh Madhusudan Deshpande, Chandrashekarappa Praveen Belur Raghavan Rakshith, 2023.
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Energy Slave Tokens by DISNOVATION.ORG, 2020.
ENERGY SLAVE TOKENS Year: 2020
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When architect and futurist Buckminster Fuller coined the term ‘energy slaves’, he equated the energy generated by fossil fuels to that of human physical labour. How many energy slaves would you be a master of when you use fossil fuels to power your everyday life? Energy Slave Tokens, crafted from bitumen, a semisolid form of petroleum—represent specific durations of human labour (an hour, a day, a year, a lifetime). In doing so, the research collective Disnovation. org highlights the stark contrast between human labour and the fossil fuel-driven energy that powers our modern lifestyle.
Installation view of Energy Slave Tokens by DISNOVATION.ORG, 2023.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTION DISNOVATION.ORG Established in Paris in 2012, DISNOVATION. ORG is a research collective led by core members Maria Roszkowska, Nicolas Maigret, and Baruch Gottlieb. Bridging contemporary art, research, and hacking, they collaborate with a diverse array of professionals in academia, activism, engineering, and design. Their recent artistic endeavours challenge prevailing beliefs in the efficacy of ‘economic growth’ and ‘technological fixes’ to resolve the ecological disruptions they themselves have caused. Co-editors of A Bestiary of the Anthropocene and The Pirate Book with Nicolas Nova, DISNOVATION.ORG’s global presence includes exhibitions at the Centre Pompidou, and the Museum of Art and Design. Their work, exploring Post Growth imaginaries, has garnered international acclaim and media coverage in outlets such as Forbes, Vice, Wired, and more. CARBON 2024 / 89
Peak Oil by Stuart McMillen, 2021.
PEAK OIL Year: 2021
Roughly half of the world’s oil supply is used up. How will we use that which remains? This comic tells the story of M. King Hubbert, an American geologist, who predicted in 1956 that the American oil industry was set to peak and decline in the following 15 years. Hubbert was proved right when the peak occurred in the 1970s, even as the oil industry resisted his observation. These graphic illustrations by comics artist Stuart McMillen explore life in a society that is at the all-time peak of energy availability.
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Visitor interacts with Peak Oil by Stuart McMillen, 2023
Panel from Peak Oil by Stuart McMillen, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Stuart McMillen Stuart McMillen, a comics artist based in Canberra, Australia, specialises in crafting longform social commentary comics rooted in real-life historical events. Since transitioning to full-time comics artistry in 2011, his website (stuartmcmillen.com) has attracted over 1.5 million unique visitors. Notable works include Peak Oil (2015) and Energy Slaves (2017), offering insightful explorations of the societal impact of fossil fuels. In 2023, Scribe Publications enlisted Stuart to develop an expanded adaptation of his online comic about the last town in North America to receive TV reception, titled “The Town Without Television,” slated as his debut book, to be published by Scribe in Australia and the United States. Operating as a crowdfunded cartoonist through an ongoing Patreon campaign, reader donations sustain Stuart’s role as a selfemployed independent comics artist.
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The message to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels really resonated with me—it’s a crucial step toward a more sustainable future.” - Tejaswini Yakkundimath, Visitor CARBON 2024 / 91
Hydrocarbons by Marina Zurkow, 2013.
fossil fuels to plastics, HYDROCARBONS From hydrocarbon chains are embedded
Year: 2013
in our lives and present everywhere. How did they become so pervasive? The Inside Story of Modern Gasoline, a propaganda film made by Standard Oil in 1946, tells a celebratory story of how fossil fuels made their way into our lives. Artist Marina Zurkow draws from this piece to highlight the out-ofcontrol use of fossil fuels. By editing and manipulating the original film, Zurkow illuminates the claustrophobic accumulation of hydrocarbons around us.
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Visitors interact with Hydrocarbons by Marina Zurkow, 2013.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Marina Zurkow Marina Zurkow is a media and participatory artist exploring nature-culture tensions and environmental issues through research and technologies like animation and biomaterials. She fosters multispecies and geophysical connections in her work. A founding member of Investing in Futures, Dear Climate, and Climoji, her solo shows span bitforms gallery, Google’s Hudson River campus, and ICA San Diego. Her work has featured at Storm King, Sundance, and the Moscow Biennale. Zurkow is a Guggenheim Fellow and 2022 Environmental Media Lab fellow.
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Coal Power Plant by Ravi Agarwal, 2014.
COAL POWER PLANT Year: 2014
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An abandoned coal power plant offers a glimpse into the story of India after Independence. This power station, commissioned in 1954, was part of a new technology-driven trajectory for India. The ecological consequences of coal-fired power led to the closure of this site in 2014, when it was torn down for scraps. This series of photographs created by artist and curator Ravi Agarwal lays bare the crisis and negotiations between development, technology, and climate change— asking if we can imagine a life without coal.
Detail of Coal Power Plant by Ravi Agarwal, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Ravi Agarwal Ravi Agarwal has an inter-disciplinary practice as an artist, photographer, environmental campaigner, writer and curator. His work explores key contemporary questions of ecology, society, urban space and capital. His prime medium has been photography for over four decades, which has expanded over time to include video, public art, installations, and printmaking.
India, 2018). His work is in several private and public collections, and he has served on several art juries and committees. Agarwal is also the founder director of the environmental NGO Toxics Link and has pioneered work in waste and chemicals in India.
His key projects have long engagements for several years, and are often accompanied by published diaries and writings. His work has been shown widely including at the Yinchuan Biennial (2018), Kochi Biennial (2016), the Sharjah Biennial (2013), Documenta XI (2002) amongst others. He co-curated the YamunaElbe project, Indo German twin city public art and ecology project (2011), and Embrace our Rivers an Indo- European project in Chennai (2018), and has been appointed photography curator for the Serendipity Arts Festival (Goa, CARBON 2024 / 95
Streichhözer. (Matches) by David Hochgatterer, 2011.
STREICHHӦZER. (MATCHES) Year: 2011
How can a set of matches reveal the multiple faces of carbon? Streichhölzer. (Matches) is a paradox, where matches seem to ignite without a flame. Filmed by exposing these matches to blinding light, this short video challenges our perception of the ordinary and overlooked presence of carbon fumes in our everyday lives.
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Visitor interacts with Streichhözer. (Matches) by David Hochgatterer, 2011.
Still from Streichhözer. (Matches) by David Hochgatterer, 2011.
ABOUT THE ARTIST David Hochgatterer David Hochgatterer is an artist based in Linz, Austria. Hochgatterer’s artistic practice is focused on manipulating the mechanisms of perception. He chooses his medium according to the type of experience he wants to convey, switching between interactive and narrative forms of media arts. Thematically, Hochgatterer’s work focuses on scientific concepts, communicated in an aesthetic way in order to trigger comprehension and provoke philosophic deliberations.
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The exhibit symbolises that our actions have consequences and form a cycle that impacts everything around us.” - Angana Ghosh, Visitor
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CARBON FUTURES 1 Exhibit What futures can we imagine as we tackle the climate crisis? Whether we leave the planet in ruins or restore its ecological balance, carbon will remain our companion. Speculate on how we might envision the days to come, if we can break our patterns of consumption, contamination, and conflict.
Aerocene Backpack by Tómas Saraceno and the Aerocene Foundation, 2015-ongoing. 98 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
EXHIBIT Aerocene Backpack
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Aerocene Backpack by Tómas Saraceno and the Aerocene Foundation, 2015-ongoing.
AEROCENE BACKPACK Year: 2015–Ongoing
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What if we could fly without using fossil fuels? With the Aerocene Backpack, Tómas Saraceno and the Aerocene Foundation have created a unique floating sculpture that can fly by using the heat of the sun and the infrared heat emitted from Earth’s surface. Witness the journey and development of the Aerocene Backpack, which moves through the air by harnessing the power of natural currents. At the core of Aerocene Backpack, lies an invitation to re-evaluate our relationship with the planet and explore alternative modes of transportation that minimise our reliance on fossil fuels.
Installation View of Aerocene Backpack by Tómas Saraceno and the Aerocene Foundation, 2015-ongoing.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
ABOUT THE INSTITUTION
Tomás Saraceno
Aerocene Foundation
Tomás Saraceno, an Argentina-born artist based in Berlin, engages with life-forming and challenges established knowledge in the Capitalocene era. Over two decades, his projects, including Museo Aero Solar (2007–) and the Aerocene Foundation (2015–), actively reenvision the co-creation of the atmosphere. Saraceno’s work seeks a society free from carbon emissions and Capitalocene abuses. Notably, Aerocene has achieved 7,060 minutes in the air through 110 tethered flights, 15 free flights, and 8 human flights. In 2020, the project Fly with Aerocene Pacha supported indigenous communities protesting harmful lithium extraction in Argentina, setting 32 world records for the most sustainable flight in human history. Saraceno’s art explores the multiplicity of vibrations in the Web of Life, offering a profound reflection on our relationship with the environment.
The Aerocene Foundation–initiated by artist Tomás Saraceno–is a non-profit organisation devoted to community building, scientific research, artistic experience, and education. The Foundation works with artists, thinkers, scientists, researchers, balloonists, technologists, humanitarian workers, influencers, and visionaries to increase public awareness of global resource circulation, and reactivate a common imaginary towards new symbiotic relationships with the earth.
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I was particularly intrigued by Aerospace—it’s a great alternative to satisfy the adventurous spirit without leaving a toll on the environment.” - Muskan Gupta, Visitor CARBON 2024 / 101
04 PROGRAMMES Public Lectures And Tutorial Masterclasses Workshops Events
During CARBON, the programmes played a vital role in showcasing the research, ideas, and perspectives surrounding the exhibition. Using a variety of formats, we explored the critical and contentious nature of carbon. Programming began at different venues across the city in August 2024, alongside our city-wide metro pop-up. Expert-led lectures, film screenings, artist-driven events, quizzes, and city walks unpacked the exhibition’s themes. We also hosted workshops and masterclasses exclusively for young adults, providing them with opportunities to engage directly with scholars, researchers, and artists. These programmes encouraged participants to learn, create, and experiment with innovative ideas, concepts, and technologies inspired by the exhibition.
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Image: From Arindam Ghosh’s lecture From Graphene to the Galactic: A Journey with Atomic Sheets at CARBON, 2023.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
FROM GRAPHENE TO THE GALACTIC: A JOURNEY WITH ATOMIC SHEETS Super batteries, invisible cloaks, spacecrafts—new technologies using carbon could revolutionise these inventions. Atomic sheets, exemplified by graphene—a flat lattice of carbon atoms—are emerging as a one-stop solution for smart materials design. These atomic sheets could become the backbone of future electronics and quantum computing, paralleling the way silicon and other semiconductors transformed the appliances we use today. In this lecture, physicist Arindam Ghosh explored the role of graphene and similar materials in changing the technological landscapes we know today.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Arindam Ghosh
Image: Arindam Ghosh delivers his lecture From Graphene to the Galactic: A Journey With Atomic Sheets at CARBON, 2023.
Arindam Ghosh is a Professor of Physics at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India. He is an alumnus of the University of Cambridge, has been a Visiting Research Fellow in Nanotechnology at the T J Watson Research Centre of IBM, and serves as a member on the Research Councils and adjunct professorships in numerous institutions in India. His research involves both fundamental and applied aspects of two-dimensional (2D) materials focusing on electrical transport and noise, light-matter interaction, and thermal management. He has received numerous prizes, including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in 2012 and the Infosys Science Prize for Physical Sciences in 2020.
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
SHELL CHRONICLES: EXPLORING DEEP TIME THROUGH SEASHELL FOSSILS Beyond dinosaurs, the fossil world holds hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. Studying seashells can help us unravel the mysteries of marine life. The fossil record of seashells spans hundreds of millions of years, allowing us to examine how these organisms have evolved over deep time. Because seashells have diversified rapidly over time, they are perfect for helping us learn how different marine creatures have changed in response to various natural factors and environmental challenges throughout history. The humble seashell serves as a valuable time capsule that enables scientists to piece together Earth’s history, study the evolution of marine life, and gain insights into past environmental conditions. In this lecture, paleobiologist Devapriya Chattopadhyay navigated the audience through a journey to explore the fantastic world of seashell fossils! 108 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Devapriya Chattopadhyay
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Devapriya Chattopadhyay is a Paleobiologist, interested in the ecology and evolution of marine mollusks. She received her PhD in Geology from University of Michigan. She is currently serving as an Associate professor in the Department of Earth and Climate Science, IISER Pune. Using a combination of recent and fossil mollusks, she addresses topics such as individual response to biotic interaction, ecologic response to climate change, effect of physical environment on marine benthos diversity. In addition to studying fossils in the field, she works on modern organisms using underwater observations, conducts laboratory experiments in aquariums and uses statistical modelling.
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Image: EPFL Pavilions.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
MUSEUMS IN THE AGE OF EXPERIENCE In traditional museums, galleries, and archives, where collections are often inanimate and outof-reach, how can we move beyond object oriented curation? Research at the Laboratory for Experimental Museology (eM+) blends experimental curatorship with contemporary aesthetics, digital humanism and emerging technologies. We can peer inside ancient objects, scan artworks to the microscopic scale and recreate age-old cave murals in a contemporary setting. These innovations are borne from the emerging field of computational museology, where cutting-edge technologies, artificial intelligence, and data-driven approaches breathe new life into the world of cultural heritage. In this lecture by researcher Sarah Kenderdine, we explored how computational methods are reshaping traditional curation, propelling museums into the future by seamlessly blending the tangible with the digital. She also gave an overview of EPFL Pavilions exhibitions and focused the discussion on Cosmos Archaeology: Explorations in Time and Space. 110 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Sarah Kenderdine researches at the forefront of interactive and immersive experiences for galleries, libraries, archives and museums. In widely exhibited installation works, she has amalgamated tangible and intangible cultural heritage with new media art practice, especially in the realms of interactive cinema, augmented reality and embodied narrative. Kenderdine has produced over 100 exhibitions and installations for museums worldwide including a museum complex in India and one in Taiwan and received a number of major international awards for this work.
In 2017, Kenderdine was appointed professor at the École Polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland where she built the Laboratory for Experimental Museology (eM+). In 2020 and 2022, she was named in the Museum Influencer List 2020 – The Power 10 by Blooloop and in 2020 and 2021, Switzerland’s Top 100 Digital Shapers by Bilanz. In 2021, Kenderdine was appointed corresponding fellow of The British Academy. Her upcoming book is Deep Fakes: A Critical Lexicon of Digital Museology (2024).
Image: Sarah Kenderdine delivers her lecture Museums in the Age of Experience at CARBON, 2024.
Sarah Kenderdine
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
CHANGING ECOLOGIES, TRANSFORMING LIVES: COMPLEX COEXISTENCE OF HUMAN AND NONHUMAN PRIMATES IN OUR CITIES Nonhuman life has traditionally coexisted rather peacefully with human communities across the Indian subcontinent. This is primarily due to the spirituality believed to be shared between human and non-human beings, and the exalted positions many lifeforms—particularly nonhuman primates—have held in the religious beliefs of different Indian communities. This spirit of coexistence, however, now appears to be under threat. In this talk, Rana briefly narrated stories of how the lives of our fellow nonhuman primates—the bonnet and rhesus monkeys of southern and northern India respectively—are changing forever, and how they are being forced to survive in human-altered habitats by even transforming themselves into strangely human-like monkeys!
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Anindya ‘Rana’ Sinha, popularly known as Rana, is a primatologist of international repute. His principal research, over the last three decades, has been on the behavioural ecology, cognitive ethology, population and behavioural genetics, evolutionary biology and conservation studies of primates and other nonhuman species. His current research in natural philosophies, urban ecologies, art heritage and performance studies involve ethoethnographic explorations of nonhuman synurbisation, human–nonhuman relations and the lived experiences of nonhumans, promising unique insights into other-thanhuman lifeworlds—of the past, today, and in the future.
Rana is deeply interested in the popularisation of biology and, in addition to establishing a master’s degree programme in wildlife biology and conservation in Bengaluru in 2001 and working closely with the International Biology Olympiad for over two decades now, he has lectured and taught extensively in a variety of educational and research institutions, both across and outside the country.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Anindya ‘Rana’ Sinha
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
CAN WE LET FROGS HOP CLOSER TO OUR HEARTS? In this talk, Seshadri KS presented an overview of what amphibians are and attempted to excite people to pay attention to amphibians around them. He delved into topics from his research spanning the last 15 years on various aspects about the ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation of amphibians in India.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Seshadri KS Seshadri KS, is DST-INSPIRE Faculty at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE). He has studied several ecosystems and taxa from dragonflies to epiphytes in the tall forest canopies of the Western Ghats. During his PhD at the National University of Singapore, he discovered new species and new reproductive behaviour of frogs and examined the evolutionary ecology of such behaviour.
Sodhi Conservation Scholarship, and has been recognized by Deccan Herald as a Changemaker. He is committed to the cause of conservation and strongly believes that there is an urgent need to rekindle a sense of wonder towards nature among people so that they care about our planet. In his spare time, he is out watching birds, reading, or tending a modest terrace garden.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
He was the research director at Agumbe Rainforest Research Station and later, a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. He is a recipient of the ‘Future Conservationist’ Award, Prof. Navjot
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
URBAN WILDLIFE This talk largely focused on helping us look at wildlife with a different perspective. It also encouraged people to be curious to discover and learn about the creatures that share space with us in urban landscapes, and how they quietly contribute to the functioning of ecosystems.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Karthikeyan S.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Karthikeyan S. known to most as Karthik, has nurtured a deep love for wildlife for almost 40 years. He is an avid birdwatcher with a keen interest in butterflies. Karthik creates awareness among the young and old alike on natural history through nature camps, talks, slide shows, and naturebased activities. He has walked and worked in the forests of BRT and Bannerghatta, and also studied the little-known Indian Tree Shrew. He is widely-published and was conferred the Carl Zeiss Wildlife Conservation Award in March 2013. He worked with WWF-India for over 13 years and is currently the Chief Naturalist at Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd.
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
HARMONY IN THE WILDERNESS: STORIES OF PLANETARY STEWARDSHIP In this talk, K Ramnath Chandrasekhar shared his work and also stories from the wilderness to explore the concept of planetary stewardship and its connection to justice for all life on Earth. To underscore our interdependence with nature, he explored “stewardship for ourselves,” which invites the audience to trace the connections of care—for ourselves and the environment. He also shared his insights on cognitive justice, and its importance in conversations around the environment. The lecture was a call to action, inspiring individuals to become stewards of the natural world, ensuring a thriving planet for all.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR K Ramnath Chandrasekhar
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
K Ramnath Chandrasekhar is a practitioner who conceptualises and implements education programmes on exploration, storytelling and civic engagement for the Asia-Pacific region and creates nature conservation stories from concept to completion through photography and filmmaking. He advocates for Planetary Stewardship through community building, experiential learning, and visual storytelling. He was shortlisted for the Rolex Young Laureates Programme, recognised by the Tamil Nadu State Government, and is a National Geographic Explorer. Ramnath is the Chief Operating Officer of YouCAN, a non-profit organisation that empowers individuals to become stewards of the Planet Earth. This is, to us, an act of justice for all life to thrive.
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
POLITICS | NATURE | KNOWLEDGE Bruno Latour in his ‘Politics of Nature’ (1999/ tr. 2004) has argued that “political ecology has nothing to do with nature”. Sheila Jassanoff in her ‘Designs on Nature’ (2005) has argued that “biology and politics have converged today across much of the industrialised world.” A recent translation of Latour’s essay “In favour of a dialogue between political science and Science Studies” (2008/ tr. 2023), tells us more about his thinking on Science Studies as possibly the new political science. In this talk, Jahnavi Phalkey presented her response to these arguments as part of an academic debate while exploring their relevance to curatorial work.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Jahnavi Phalkey Jahnavi Phalkey was appointed Founding Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru in November 2018. Previously, she was faculty at King’s College London. She started her academic career at the University of Heidelberg, following which she was based at Georgia Tech-Lorraine, France, and Imperial College London.
Image: Jahnavi Phalkey delivers her lecture Politics | Nature | Knowledge at CARBON, 2024.
Phalkey was Fellow, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (the Institute of Advanced Study, Berlin). She was external curator to the Science Museum London, and has been a Scholar-in-Residence at the Deutsches Museum, Munich. She is the author of Atomic State: Big Science in Twentieth Century India and has co-edited Science of Giants: China and India in the Twentieth Century. She is also the producer-director of the documentary film Cyclotron.
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Image: Triggered by Motion.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
TRIGGERING ENQUIRIES: ON ART-SCIENCE COLLABORATIONS Bridging the gap between art and science, we have long been inspired by the Renaissance figure Leonardo da Vinci, who mastered both fields. Fast forward to the present day, and we find a stark divide, with art and science being taught in separate institutions, and the public perception of these fields as fundamentally incompatible. Today, we often see art and science as separate, but when they come together, they offer a unique perspective, a stereo vision of the world. Katharina Weikl, head of the art x science office at the University of Zurich, presented their work and delivered a talk on the power of interdisciplinary collaboration. Weikl led the ‘Triggered by Motion’ project, showcased at CARBON, which brought 122 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
together researchers from 14 countries, highlighting the intersection of art, research, and conservation. Ecologist Samira Agnihotri was in discussion with Weikl post the lecture. This programme was organised in collaboration with Swissnex.
ABOUT THE FACILITATORS Katharina Weikl
Image: Triggered by Motion.
Katharina Weikl, a Swiss-German curator, filmmaker, and science communicator, holds a Ph.D. in the history of science from HU Berlin. Currently serving as the Deputy Director of the Graduate Campus at the University of Zurich, she is dedicated to supporting young scientists, fostering transdisciplinary collaboration, and engaging in public dialogue. Weikl, in her role as a curator, actively promotes the intersection of science and art. Notable exhibitions she has curated include “Planet Digital” at the Museum für Gestaltung in 2022, “100 Ways of Thinking” at Kunsthalle Zürich in 2018, and “Transactions” at Manifesta 11 in 2016. Her work reflects a commitment to bridging the gap between scientific inquiry and artistic expression.
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
THE SAVANNAS AND GRASSLANDS OF INDIA: MISCLASSIFIED, UNDERVALUED AND THREATENED India’s open natural ecosystems, its grasslands and savannas, have long suffered from a misperception that they are degraded and unproductive ecosystems. In this talk, ecologist Jayashree Ratnam first unpacked the historical and geographical reasons for this misperception. She then presented evidence, to the contrary, that these ecosystems are ancient, biodiverse, culturally rich and highly productive. While they have historically been diverted for agriculture and industry, today, ironically, they are threatened by climate change mitigation initiatives such as green energy and tree planting. They are urgently in need of conservation and restoration action that explicitly values them for their uniqueness and distinct functional ecologies.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Jayashree Ratnam
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Jayashree Ratnam is at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research where she serves as Program Director of the Wildlife Biology and Conservation Program. She is a community and ecosystems ecologist who studies tropical forests, savannas and grasslands. Her current research investigates the history and functional ecology of Asian savannas and grasslands. In the Indian subcontinent where a long history of anthropogenic activity has significantly transformed lands, she is increasingly interested in interdisciplinary approaches that explicitly recognize these as ancient coupled human-natural ecosystems that need to be simultaneously managed for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological function and sustainable human use.
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
FEELING THE HEAT At a time of global urgency for action on the climate crisis, can creativity, collaboration and experimentation help inspire a better future? Dr Ryan Jefferies from the Science Gallery Melbourne at the University of Melbourne presented his insights to the problem by outlining his journey to promote social change. From First Nations people’s knowledge and culture, to urine batteries that charge your mobile phone, to 3D-printed edible insects. It was a remarkable sneak peek into how innovation, speculation and provocation by artists and scientists are fostering youth-led action to tackle climate change and promote greater sustainability in Australia and around the world.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Ryan Jefferies
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Dr Ryan Jefferies is Director of Science Gallery Melbourne at the University of Melbourne, and has over 20 years experience within the cultural sector and as a research scientist at leading Australian and international institutions. He is a passionate advocate of the blurred intersections between arts, technology and science and the bold promotion of social change through disruptive and speculative creativity. He is also Director of the Grainger Museum and a Fellow of the Centre for Visual Art at the Victorian College of the Arts. Ryan has held previous roles at Murdoch University, the University of Western Australia, University of Bristol, Western Australian Museum and Museums Victoria.
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Still from Carbon Nanoverse by Andrea Rassell and Jacob Martin, 2023.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
INTO THE NANOVERSE: AN ATOMIC VIEW OF A BATTERY Seen the virtual reality exhibit Carbon Nanoverse at CARBON, Science Gallery Bengaluru? Curious to know about the science behind it? Join us for a talk with materials scientist Dr Jacob Martin, who is part of the two-person team behind the exhibit! Dr. Jacob Martin, the figure behind the virtual reality exhibit Carbon Nanoverse at CARBON focused on the science behind the lithium-ion batteries that are revolutionising our transport and are set to transform our electrical grid. Participants saw the atomic structure of a battery using computer visualisations and 3D glasses! Alongside this atom eye view, Jacob shared insights on materials sciences that led to the discovery of the battery, and his recent work on manufacturing battery grade graphite. 128 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Jacob Martin
Jacob Martin delivers his lecture Into The Nanoverse: An Atomic View of a Battery at CARBON, 2024.
Jacob Martin is a carbon materials scientist and nanotechnologist that studies how we can manufacture carbon for use in the development of renewable energy. He is a physicist, chemist and chemical engineer having completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge in 2020. He then was a research fellow at the Cambridge Centre for Carbon Reduction in Chemical Technology in Singapore working with industry to decarbonise. He is a Forrest Fellow in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Curtin University in Perth, Australia working on advanced carbon materials for decarbonisation with batteries and hydrogen.
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
THE CONVERSATION CONUNDRUM: ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIODIVERSITY The UN warns of three big problems for Earth: climate change, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss. We are warming up our planet by putting too much carbon into the atmosphere while we produce energy, fuel vehicles and run our factories. To stop this, countries want to do two things: use clean energy from sources like the sun and the wind, and plant more trees to soak up atmospheric carbon. This narrow focus on climate change mitigation by lowering atmospheric carbon—be it from reduced emissions, or increased sequestration—can ironically harm endangered species, destroy natural habitats, and exacerbate biodiversity loss. In this talk, M. D. Madhusudan explore these processes, and offered suggestions on how we can respond to environmental challenges more holistically. This lecture was conducted in Kannada. 130 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Madhusudan is a conservation scientist, who, for over two decades, studied the interface between people and large wild animals, trained students, published papers, worked with individuals and collectives to mobilise conservation action, and participated in the making of policies striving to reconcile the needs of wildlife and of humans. Along the way, he helped establish, grow and manage Nature Conservation Foundation, a nonprofit that strives for knowledge-based and sociallyresponsible nature conservation across India. Madhu was recently the Obaid Siddiqi Chair in the History and Culture of Science at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, where he now continues as a
Visiting Scientist, documenting the histories of India’s wildlife conservation, as well as of its changing lands and waters.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
M D Madhusudan
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
CARBON IN THE RISE AND FALL OF CIVILIZATIONS The growth and glory of empires is generally (and rather falsely) attributed to the acumen and valour of their heroes. Unfortunately, history fails to recognize that human civilizations and empires cannot grow in a vacuum. They grow by consuming the natural resources in and around them, consuming and exploiting resources to become bigger, faster. Paradoxically, the overuse of resources pushes empires to the verge of their own extinction. In this lecture, K N Ganeshaiah demonstrated this with a set of examples: the decline of a civilization in Easter Island, the growth and fall of the Vijayanagara empire and the death of Talakadu, a rich urban complex in Karnataka. 132 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
He also argued that several urban areas of the world are now showing the symptoms of such decay due to uncontrolled use of resources. This lecture was conducted in Kannada.
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR K N Ganeshaiah
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Professor K N Ganeshaiah is retired Dean of Post Graduate Studies, University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), GKVK Bengaluru. He is now working as a Senior Scientist at Indian National Science Academy (INSA) at the UAS. He has been working in the area of evolutionary ecology of plants and insects, mapping and assessing biodiversity and building databases on Indian Bioresources. He was instrumental in mapping the plant resources of major bio-rich areas such as Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Eastern Himalayas and of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He has a special interest in tracing the role of bio-resources in the emergence and growth of human civilizations. He also indulges in writing novels, short stories and columns in local language (Kannada) especially in the area of history and science.
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
DIAMONDS IN THE SKY Our earth is enriched with a huge dosage of carbon. Where does this carbon come from? The sky is a vast storehouse of elements, of which carbon is a significant part. This lecture will trace the carbon in the stars and other celestial bodies. Astrophysicist B S Shylaja will share the ingenious methods through which every dot in the sky produces carbon. She will also draw upon her research to share how we identify, study and examine the carbon above us—an introduction to the huge diamonds in the sky.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
B S Shylaja joined the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium (JNP) as Educator in 1994. Her research includes the history of astronomy, astrophysics, and science education. She has been involved in the preparation of planetarium programmes. She initiated teaching astronomy at different levels with 5 day and 3 day workshops called “Universe in the classroom”, “Introduction to the night sky” for students, teachers and lay persons. Under the aegis of the REAP for B. Sc. students which was formalised in 2000, she taught basics of astronomy and astrophysics till her retirement (2017). Shylaja became the Senior Scientific Officer, then Deputy Director and took charge as Director of JNP in 2012. Shylaja obtained her M. Sc. in Physics from the Bangalore University and PhD from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics working on
Wolf-Rayet binary stars. Her subjects of interest include comets, peculiar stars and novae. She has more than 120 publications in refereed journals and 17 books. She is currently working on stone inscriptions, translation and analysis of manuscripts of the 17th century and astronomical aspects of temples, monuments and artworks.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
B S Shylaja
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
CLIMATE JUSTICE AND THE RIGHTS OF NATURE IN INDIA Should nature have the same legal rights as humans? Can the idea of ‘climate justice’ change our approaches to this crisis? In this interactive lecture, legal scholar and activist-educator Abhayraj Naik prompted us to think about the terms ‘climate justice’ and ‘rights for nature’, which can serve as important foundations for understanding and responding to environmental challenges. Through this lens, we might reimagine the foundational relation between science, nature, and justice in India—exploring not just the science, but the philosophical, political, cultural, and contextual (justice) dimensions of climate change.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Abhayraj Naik
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Abhayraj Naik is an educator, community builder, and system change practitioner. His current work focuses on decolonial climate justice, spiritual ecology, and transformative learning. He is a co-founder of a non-profit organisation called the Initiative for Climate Action, a visiting faculty member at the Azim Premji University and Krea University, a justice and transformation consultant, and an advisor/consultant to a number of progressive social and environmental causes in India and other parts of the world. He is the vision-holder for an online resource space—”Climate Justice India”, an emergent educational network called the South Asia Network for Justice Education, and an upcoming centre for spiritual ecology in Bengaluru, India.
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
DESIGNING FOR WILDERNESS IN HUMAN HABITATS This talk serves as an introduction to ecological landscape design. The speakers will be sharing some tools and insights on documenting existing biodiversity on a piece of land and designing for its succession. They will also present a few design stories from projects where individuals who own private farms that exist in gradient zones between reserve forests and urban spaces can contribute towards conservation and awareness of harmonious coexistence with wildlife. The session will end with a short quiz on fauna, which will open up discussion with the audience.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Theertha Ravi
Himanshu Arteev is an ecological planner and designer who, along with Kiri and Jananee, co-founded Ananas. They are a small team that works on transforming landscapes into habitable spaces for flora, fauna, and people. Along with everything Earth, forests and fauna he is passionate about water. He also loves making quick small sketches to bring ecological designs to reality with a small team of experts.
Theertha Ravi is an ecological designer at Ananas. She is passionate about regenerative design practices in both architecture and landscaping. She enjoys the process of deeply rooting herself to the context of a site to work with native materials and its vernacular history to build self-sustaining eco-systems
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Himanshu Arteev
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Image featured in the lecture Living and Drowning on the Shore of Blue Capital by Laleh Khalili at CARBON, 2024.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
LIVING AND DROWNING ON THE SHORE OF BLUE CAPITAL How do coastal cities and infrastructures sustain global capital? Can ‘blue capital’— solutions that are offered as alternatives to hydrocarbon economies—provide a way out of our carbon-intensive economies? Laleh Khalili puts this idea to the test as she examines how blue capital may in fact exacerbate the situation. Join Khalili in a lecture that explores how extraction, transportation and logistics contribute to the gradual drowning of our cities and infrastructures. This programme was supported by the British Council.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Laleh Khalili
Laleh Khalili delivers her lecture Living and Drowning on the Shore of Blue Capital at CARBON, 2024.
Laleh Khalili is a professor of Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter and the author or editor of 6 books including most recently Sinews of War and Trade: Shipping and Capitalism in the Arabian Peninsula (Verso 2020) and The Corporeal Life of Seafaring (Mack Books 2024).
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
COEXISTING WITH TIGERS IN HUMANDOMINATED CENTRAL INDIA Central India is a place where a majority of the world’s wild tigers live and traverse villages and agricultural lands interspersed with fragile forest corridors that link tiger reserves. Over the last decade, Amrita has lived and worked in central India, mulling over what makes the heart of India a place where humans and tigers coexist. In this talk, she will share these musings in the hope to spark some rich discussions about—’what is coexistence?’ and ‘who decides how we coexist?’ Come for some tiger tales, relatable livelihood conundrums and to consider the many paths forward.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Amrita Neelakantan
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Amrita Neelakantan is a conservation scientist with more than 18 years of experience in conservation. She holds a doctorate from Columbia University (New York, the U.S.A) for thesis work on resettled households around Kanha Tiger Reserve. She is the Executive Director for the Network for Conserving Central India (NCCI) and part of the governing body of the Coexistence Consortium. She cut her teeth in the wildlife conservation industry doing field research in the cloud forests of the Ecuadorian Andes, coastal forest of Kenya and a year-long stint in northern drydeciduous forests of Madagascar.
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
THE INDIA BIODIVERSITY PORTAL, CITIZEN, SCIENCE AND COEXISTENCE Since its inception as a map-based platform in 2008, the India Biodiversity Portal has gradually evolved into a dynamic storehouse of primary biodiversity data. Today, it allows people to directly contribute primary biodiversity data while also encouraging citizen science engagement. The Coexistence Project is a significant endeavour that reflects the portal’s dedication to not only addressing the issues of conservation in a human-dominated landscape but also responding to the need for more complex information that reveals patterns and relationships within an ecosystem. This talk will explore the portal and the project in tandem, to think about the coexistence dynamics between biodiversity and human activities by capturing 144 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
intricate aspects of species attributes, habitat characteristics, and ecological interactions. As cities such as Bengaluru undergo rapid urbanisation, the resulting habitat and biodiversity loss pose challenges for coexistence. Documenting incidents of this interaction in a structured manner becomes imperative for effective conservation strategies and urban planning that foster harmonious cohabitation.
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Amrita Neelakantan
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Amrita Neelakantan is a conservation scientist with more than 18 years of experience in conservation. She holds a doctorate from Columbia University (New York, the U.S.A) for thesis work on resettled households around Kanha Tiger Reserve. She is the Executive Director for the Network for Conserving Central India (NCCI) and part of the governing body of the Coexistence Consortium. She cut her teeth in the wildlife conservation industry doing field research in the cloud forests of the Ecuadorian Andes, coastal forest of Kenya and a year-long stint in northern drydeciduous forests of Madagascar.
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
KHANE KE LIYE BACHAO: “MEEN” THOUGHTS ON COEXISTENCE IN COASTAL AND MARINE ECOSYSTEMS One of humanity’s oldest connections with nature is centred around food. This relationship has shaped identities and cultures across time and space. For India’s small-scale fishing communities, their relationship with coastal and marine ecosystems is critical to their lives, livelihoods, and overall well being. However, while coexistence was the norm, today they are faced with mounting challenges and multiple insecurities. How do we safeguard coexistence in such land and seascapes? This talk will explore the ways in which coexistence was and is woven into fisher communities, the challenges of today and a shared conservation philosophy that should guide our path forward.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Marianne Manuel
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Marianne Manuel’s work has been focused around issues of coastal governance and fisher rights. She has worked with fishing communities as well as local, national and regional civil society networks to centre fisher perspectives within law and policy. She is currently the Director of Dakshin Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to securing healthy coastal and marine ecosystems and enabling thriving fishing communities.
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
A TRAVELLER’S TALE: THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF LANTANA CAMARA It is not widely known that Lantana, with its attractive flowers—familiar to us from gardens and hedges, roadsides and forests—is actually a relative newcomer to our shores. Its travels began in Latin America, when it first caught the eye of a European ‘plant hunter’ several centuries ago. In this lecture, Ankila Hiremath traces the journey of Lantana, how it arrived in India and made its home here, and what this meant for the plants, animals, and people that it encountered in its new home.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Ankila Hiremath
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Ankila Hiremath is an ecologist interested in questions that lie at the interface of human and natural systems. A lot of her work over the past two decades has been in forests and woodland savannas of the Biligiri Rangan Hills in Karnataka, in the Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu, and in the Banni grasslands of Kutch. She has spent a lot of time thinking about plants like Lantana and Prosopis.
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
INSIDE A WASP NEST: UNDERSTANDING INSECT SOCIETIES Many species of insects—such as ants, bees, wasps, and termites—organise themselves into societies, resembling and in some ways surpassing human societies. Can we understand these insect societies? Ecologist Raghavendra Gadagkar took us on a deep dive into ant-hills, wasp nests, and beehives by sharing his research around the Indian paper wasp Ropalidia marginata. He demonstrated the observational and experimental methods used to study insects, presented contemporary research around these bugs, and demonstrated just how little we know about this society!
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Raghavendra Gadagkar is as an evolutionary biologist at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of science, Bangalore, interested in the evolution of animal and human societies. Gadagkar and his team of passionate students have conducted empirical and theoretical, field and laboratory research for over 40 years to understand the Social Biology of the Indian paper wasp, Ropalidia marginata. He has published over 400 articles and three books: Survival Strategies (HUP, 1997), The Social Biology of Ropalidia marginata (HUP, 2001) and Experiments in Animal Behaviour – cuttingedge research at trifling cost (IASc, 2021). He is an International Member of the
National Academy of sciences, USA, Honorary Foreign Associate of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the 2021 Distinguished Animal Behaviorist of the Animal Behavior Society.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Raghavendra Gadagkar
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Image: Wikimedia Commons.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND TUTORIAL
COAL IN INDIA: DECARBONISATION AFTER DEVELOPMENT Coal generates over 65% of India’s power today, but it is also one of India’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Why is India ambivalent in its approach to the coal industry? What does it have to do with the history of developmentalism in this country? By examining the post-Independence history of the Indian coal industry, Rohit Chandra discussed some of the complicated social, economic, and regional consequences of India’s necessary trajectory of decarbonization. The lecture also discussed some of the historical figures who have significantly influenced the industry’s trajectory since Independence.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Rohit Chandra
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Rohit Chandra is a political scientist and economic historian working primarily on energy, infrastructure and varieties of capitalism in India. Over the last decade, he has worked in the policy space on coal sector reforms, the politics of state discoms (particularly in Jharkhand), and public finance decisions behind large infrastructure projects. He is currently an Assistant Professor at IIT-Delhi’s School of Public Policy. His work has recently expanded into the political economy of infrastructure, infrastructure finance, just transitions and the characteristics of Indian capitalism.
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MASTERCLASS 154 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
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Image: Visitors interact during Dolly Kikon’s masterclass Living with Oil and Coal: Land, Community, and Storytelling at CARBON, 2024.
MASTERCLASSES
LIVING WITH OIL AND COAL: LAND, COMMUNITY, AND STORYTELLING The screening will be followed by a discussion between the filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves and ecologist Raman Sukumar.
“
I used to think about how only billionaires can afford pesticide-free, organic, home-grown food—but this masterclass shifted my perspective. I learned about people who have even less than me—those living near coal mines, inhaling toxins every day, just so others can enjoy everyday conveniences like flying back home.” Diya Hafiz, Programme Participant
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Dolly Kikon Dolly Kikon is a Naga anthropologist. Her work focuses on the political economy of extractive resources, militarisation, migration, development initiatives, gender relations, food cultures, and human rights in India. Currently, Kikon is heading a multicountry research project funded by the Swedish Research Council Grant (2021– 2023) titled “Practicing Food Sovereignty: Indigenous Peoples and Agroecological Relationships in the Eastern Himalayas”.
Her documentary film, Seasons of Life: Foraging and Fermenting Bambooshoot during Ceasefire, was screened at the Druk International Film Festival, Bhutan (2020), the Canberra Short Film Festival, Australia (2020), the 2021 Yucatan Congress, Mexico organised by the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, and the South Asia Film Festival (2022).
Fire Continnum by Ronny Sen, Photographic Series, 2014.
Her current writing projects include an ongoing book manuscript on fermenting cultures, and a report on the impact of the 2020 Baghjan oil spill in Assam.
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Image: Laleh Khalili conducts Aboard Cargo Ships: The Life and Labour of Logistics Workers at CARBON, 2024.
MASTERCLASSES
ABOARD CARGO SHIPS: THE LIFE AND LABOUR OF LOGISTICS WORKERS What do we know of the lives of logistics workers? What can a life on the seas, aboard a container ship, be like? The body of the logistics worker is the fulcrum upon which global systems of power and trade rest. But it is also a body on which gendered and racialised pressures rest. In this masterclass, Laleh Khalili drew on her ongoing research and experiences of travelling on cargo ships to explore the life of these labourers. Khalili led participants on an investigative experience riddled with adversities—loneliness, loss, and violence, stolen wages and exploitative logistics businesses—as well as ephemeral moments of joy and solidarity. This programme was supported by the British Council.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Laleh Khalili
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Laleh Khalili is a professor of Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter and the author or editor of 6 books including most recently Sinews of War and Trade: Shipping and Capitalism in the Arabian Peninsula (Verso 2020) and The Corporeal Life of Seafaring (Mack Books 2024).
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Image: Meghna Krishnadas conducts The Ecology Enigma: Exploring Carbon in the Environment at CARBON, 2024.
MASTERCLASSES
THE ECOLOGY ENIGMA: EXPLORING CARBON IN THE ENVIRONMENT From invisible molecules to giant whales and thousand-year-old trees—all life is carbon. This two-day masterclass began with Meghna exploring all things carbon and ecology. From the fundamentals of carbon to nature walks, this masterclass was an interactive, hands-on session to understand the ecology of carbon in living beings, and what that means for humans.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Meghna Krishnadas
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
As an ecologist, Meghna Krishnadas is curious about the mechanisms that maintain diversity in ecosystems. In a different life past, Meghna was a medical doctor, but she left the hospital halls to walk the forest trails. Her transition to ecology began with the realisation that biodiversity was being lost at alarming rates. Meghna went from activist to scientist because she felt that knowledge was essential to action, but she was also increasingly driven by intellectual curiosity about the complexity of life around us. When not thinking of science and conservation, she likes to run, practice yoga and try out new fitness regimens. Good books, great conversation, and gastronomy rank high in her life agenda and someday she would like to farm (at least some of) her own food.
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Image: Sharada Srinivasan conducts Carbon: The Elusive Archaeomaterial at CARBON, 2024.
MASTERCLASSES
CARBON: THE ELUSIVE ARCHAEOMATERIAL How do we understand human evolution through archaeology? And what role does carbon play in this? This two-day masterclass with archaeometallurgist Sharada Srinivasan explored the carbon in both organic and inorganic archaeomaterials. From carbon black used by ancient Egyptians to the famous diamond mines in Golconda, discover how carbon finds its way into a vast array of materials like iron and steel. This masterclass was supported by the NIAS - TCS Heritage Initiative.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Sharada Srinivasan
Image: Visitors engage with materials as part of Sharada Srinivasan’s masterclass Carbon: The Elusive Archaeomaterial at CARBON, 2024.
Sharada Srinivasan, Padmashri, is Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. She was elected International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021 in Archaeology. Prof. Sharada Srinivasan has made landmark contributions in history of technology specialising in archaeometallurgical studies on ancient mining and metallurgy in southern India including iron and steel production and archaeometric dating of south Indian bronzes. She is co-author of ‘India’s Legendary Wootz Steel’, co-editor of ‘Digital Hampi’ and ‘Performance at the Urban Periphery’ and contributing author to ‘The Nilgiri Hills’ and ‘Ecstasy of Classical Art’ (National Museum).
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Image: Rohit Chandra, Radhika Krishnan and Shoibal Chakravarty conducts Energy Transitions: Work, Labour, and Tradeoffs at CARBON, 2024.
MASTERCLASSES
ENERGY TRANSITIONS: WORK, LABOUR, AND TRADEOFFS This two-day masterclass examined energy transitions and the associated dynamics through the lens of labor, work, and the working conditions in coal-dependent regions of India. It explored where these workers’ lives intersected with local institutions, with Radhika Krishnan and Rohit Chandra leading discussions on the labor realities of energy transitions. Rooted in social science methods, the session encouraged participants to consider the perspectives of India’s millions of energysector workers. In another session, Shoibal Chakravarty and Rohit Chandra unpacked some of the pressing trade-offs in India’s energy transition. The masterclass delved into the complex decisions surrounding energy technologies for the next half-century, 164 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
considering social, economic, and environmental factors. Participants explored trade-offs related to energy poverty, employment, public health, and regional equity. By evaluating these using economic and techno-economic methods, attendees learned how to assess trade-offs at multiple levels of magnification, from the individual and firm levels to the state and national levels.
ABOUT THE FASCILITATORS
Rohit Chandra is a political scientist and economic historian working primarily on energy, infrastructure and varieties of capitalism in India. Over the last decade, he has worked in the policy space on coal sector reforms, the politics of state discoms (particularly in Jharkhand), and public finance decisions behind large infrastructure projects. He is currently an Assistant Professor at IIT-Delhi’s School of Public Policy. His work has recently expanded into the political economy of infrastructure, infrastructure finance, just transitions and the characteristics of Indian capitalism. Radhika Krishnan Radhika Krishnan, an electrical engineer turned social scientist by training, finished her PhD at the Centre for Studies in Science Policy at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She is interested in political ecology and in studying the complex responses of peasants, labourers and Adivasis to the ‘development’ on the
Indian trade unionist Shankar Guha Niyogi and the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha, and their engagement with the environmental, technological and social challenges posed by the industrial project in modern India. Most recently, Krishnan has been working with fellow researchers in India as well as in the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Australian National University and the University of East Anglia on the possibilities of a just transition away from coal in India. Shoibal Chakravarty Shoibal Chakravarty is a Senior Researcher in the Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He received his PhD in Physics from Princeton University. He has worked at the Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University, National Institute of Advanced Study, Bangalore and Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore.
Miners, Kolar Gold Mine, Karnataka by T. S. Satyan, 1972. Courtesy of the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP).
Rohit Chandra
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WORKSHOP 166 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
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Image: Anaïs Tondeur conducts Sky in Us at CARBON, 2023.
WORKSHOP
THE SKY IN US Anaïs Tondeur captured the Bengaluru skies in a unique way! Participants got to walk around parts of the city to track and collect carbon black particles from the deceivingly blue skies. They worked with the artist to photograph the sky which was later printed using a pigment derived from the captured carbon black particles. These photographs were on display at Science Gallery Bengaluru during the CARBON exhibition season.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Anaïs Tondeur
Vidya Venkatesh, Programme Participant
She has been an artist-in-residence in several art centres and scientific laboratories, which include LeCentQuatreGrand Paris Express (2018 – 2019), Artlink (Ireland, 2019), the Museum of Arts et Métiers (Paris, 2018 – 2017), and the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES, Paris, 2016).
Image: Participants engage as part of Anaïs Tondeur’s workshop Sky is Us at CARBON, 2023.
“
The facilitation was very nice, and the intersection between art and research was explored in meaningful ways.”
Merging natural sciences and anthropology, myth-making, and new media, visual artist Anaïs Tondeur’s practice is anchored in ecology thought. Creating installations, photographs, or videos, she seeks a new aesthetic, in the sense of a renewal of our modes of perception, to find other conditions of being in the world.
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Image: Ann Laura Cantera conducts The Fungi Trap: Creating Mycelium Objects at CARBON, 2023.
WORKSHOP
FUNGI TRAP: CREATING MYCELIUM OBJECTS Anaïs Tondeur captured the Bengaluru skies in a unique way! Participants got to walk around parts of the city to track and collect carbon black particles from the deceivingly blue skies. They worked with the artist to photograph the sky which was later printed using a pigment derived from the captured carbon black particles. These photographs were on display at Science Gallery Bengaluru during the CARBON exhibition season.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Ana Laura Cantera
Ojasvi Bhagwat, Programme Participant
Cantera is a developer and creator of biomaterials, specialising in designs grown from mushroom mycelium and in biobased materials made with local waste. Recently, she received the First Prize Itaú in the Robotic Arts category and the Global Community Bio Fellows fellowship at MIT. She also leads research projects linked to bio-interactivity and 3D bio-printing. She has exhibited her artworks in exhibitions and festivals across the world. Image: Participants engage as part of Ann Laura Cantera’s The Fungi Trap: Creating Mycelium Objects at CARBON, 2023.
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It was eye-opening to discover that functional and aesthetic pieces can be built using mycelium—a fully compostable and easy-to-DIY material that doesn’t even require a lab!”
Ana Laura Cantera is a transmedia artist, researcher and professor. She works at the intersection of art, technology, science, and sustainability from a decolonial perspective. She is currently a PhD candidate in Arts and Techno-aesthetics and has a Master’s degree in Electronic Arts at National University of Tres de Febrero, a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts and a degree as Art Teacher at University of Arts (UNA).
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Image: Swati Suman conducts Crafting with Carbon: Unveiling the 3D Printing Revolution at CARBON, 2023.
WORKSHOP
CRAFTING WITH CARBON: UNVEILING THE 3D PRINTING REVOLUTION Although carbon is often associated with negative connotations, it serves as a pivotal element in driving various technological breakthroughs. This workshop explored carbon’s role in revolutionising 3D printing by enhancing strength, reducing weight, and enabling intricate designs. Participants delved into the world of carbon-infused materials and saw how they shape many industries, from aerospace to healthcare. Through discussions and hands-on activities, they gained insights into carbon’s properties and its potential to reduce carbon footprints in industrial 3D printing.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Swati Suman Swati Suman is a dedicated professional with a passion for education, skill development, and social impact. With a strong background in learning experience design and training, she has made significant contributions as a co-founder of ‘The Art of Making Foundation’. This social enterprise aims to revamp trends in higher education and foster innovation through its various programs.
Her curriculum design prowess and instructional design expertise have been instrumental in developing captivating content, including videos, quizzes, and activities.
Image: Participants engage as part of Swati Suman’s Crafting with Carbon: Unveiling the 3D Printing Revolution at CARBON, 2023.
Suman’s expertise lies in leveraging industry 4.0 technologies and rapid prototyping to create engaging learning experiences. She has successfully built an e-learning platform offering courses in 3D designing and printing, empowering students and educators to enhance their skills in this emerging field.
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Image: Pravar Chaudhary conducts From Data to Design: Citizen Activism and Climate Change at CARBON, 2023.
WORKSHOP
FROM DATA TO DESIGN: CITIZEN ACTIVISM AND CLIMATE CHANGE How do you tell a compelling narrative around climate change on social media? Pravar Chaudhary (aka Bengawalk on Instagram) introduced participants to the fundamental principles of graphic design—like colour theory, typography, and composition— all tailored specifically for climate change communication. The workshop was a deep dive into the world of smart data visualisation and cartography to understand urban mobility and carbon emissions. Curious to know how you can put your learnings from this workshop into action? Check out Chaudhary’s work: https:// bengawalk.com
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Pravar Chaudhary
Image: Participants engage as part of Pravar Chaudhary’s From Data to Design: Citizen Activism and Climate Change at CARBON, 2023.
Pravar is a designer with experience in architecture, graphic design, film making and urban planning. He enjoys telling stories about the city of Bengaluru via his Instagram handle bengawalk.
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Image: Jayant Hubli and Navin Kushwah conduct Lines and Smudges: Exploring Charcoal in Art at CARBON, 2023.
WORKSHOP
LINES AND SMUDGES: EXPLORING CHARCOAL IN ART From the cave to the gallery—art using charcoal has continued to evolve in texture, form, and technique. What role does this medium play in Indian art history? How have artists used charcoal to create unique works? And how can you start using it in your own art practice? In this workshop, artists Jayant Hubli and Navin Kushwah shared their journey of using charcoal in their practice. Participants worked with the duo to create their own artwork, some of which were displayed at Science Gallery Bengaluru during the CARBON exhibitionseason!
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Navin Kushwah
Jayant B Hubli has had a very scholastic career path in art after his Graduation and Masters in Visual Art from CAVA Mysuru and Kalanikeran, Mysore University. Pursuing art and participating in various prestigious shows with solo and group activity in offsites and art camps, Hubli was adjudged the second best painter in the world contest conducted by Winsor Newton in 1997. He was also given the prestigious State Lalit Kala Academy Karnataka award in 2003, followed by the Mysore Dasara Award from amongst thousand participants.
Navin Kushwah is a versatile creative professional known for his work as an artist, filmmaker, production designer, and facilitator. He focuses on capturing the essence of landscapes, emphasising cultural practices and traditions unique to each place. Kushwah’s artistic journey revolves around the belief in documenting the transition of places and engaging with diverse environments. He serves as an Artist in Residence and facilitator with LLN (Living Labs Network & Forum), an organisation rooted in the Deccan region.
Presently, he pursues his art with charcoal and acrylic mediums as his artworks are coveted by collectors and corporates all over India and overseas too. Jayant B Hubli is also an active collaborative President of Art Beru India which conducts shows and art initiatives at various institutions and NGOs.
He is also the driving force behind Agamashaala, a collective dedicated to mutual learning and collaborative creation, often working with NGOs. He envisions experiential spaces and collaborative shows that emphasise co-learning and co-creating with communities. The ethos of Agamashaala revolves around fostering a welcoming environment for all individuals interested in embarking on creative journeys.
Image: Participants engage as part of Jayant Hubli and Navin Kushwah’s Lines and Smudges: Exploring Charcoal in Art at CARBON, 2023.
Jayant Hubli
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Image: Sibi Arasu conducts Hot off the Press: Journalism during the Climate Change at CARBON, 2023.
WORKSHOP
HOT OFF THE PRESS: JOURNALISM DURING CLIMATE CRISIS How do journalists report on the environment and climate today? What are some of the threats, challenges, and opportunities they encounter? And what is the state of climate journalism in India? Addressing these questions, journalist Sibi Arasu shared his decade-long experience of reporting on the climate.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Sibi Arasu
Image: Participants engage as part of Sibi Arasu’s Hot off the Press: Journalism during the Climate Change at CARBON, 2023.
Sibi Arasu reports on Climate Change and Environmental issues for the Associated Press. Based in Bengaluru, he has covered climate and environmental issues for several years, both as a reporter for Indian newspapers and many international outlets, including the BBC and the National Geographic, as a freelancer. He has written extensively about several facets of the larger climate story and has won multiple awards for his journalism, including the United Nations Correspondent Award, 2021 and the Indian environment journalist of the year award, 2018 by the Prem Bhatia Foundation.
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Image: Kate Coleman and Sarah Healy conduct Hacking the Anthropocene: Climate Stories between Art and Science at CARBON, 2023.
WORKSHOP
HACKING THE ANTHROPOCENE: CLIMATE STORIES BETWEEN ART AND SCIENCE At the intersection of creative and scientific inquiry lies innovative ways to approach and understand climate change. The Speculative Wanderings in Space and Place (SWISP) Lab has created a climate curriculum by working with young adults across the world—be it in Atlanta, Melbourne, or Bengaluru. The workshop was an opportunity to learn about the Anthropocene, reflect on their relationship with carbon and climate change, and interact with other young adults to share your hopes and fears about the climate crisis. Educators Kate Coleman and Sarah Healy did a wonderful job experimenting and testing out their global climate curriculum! This workshop was organised on two different days. The contents of the workshop was repeated on both days. 180 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Sarah Healy
Kate Coleman is co-lead of the Speculative Wanderings in Space and Place Lab (SWISP) with Dr Sarah Healy and presently conducts the ‘The Learning with the Land’, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council project in the Faculty of Education. She is an Academic Convenor for the University of Melbourne, Petascale Campus building digital research capability across the university. Her pluridisciplinary research and teaching are positioned in the intersection of art, design, digital, practice, culture, and data. Kate’s research into practice includes digital practices and immersive data sites, creative curriculum design, speculative inquiry, and data creation with young people living in the midst of climate collapse.
Sarah is co-lead of the Speculative Wanderings in Space and Place Lab (SWISP) with Dr Kate Coleman. She is an inaugural Melbourne Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Faculty of Education, The University of Melbourne. Her contributions to the fields of critical affect studies, digital methods and the posthumanities are noteworthy. Sarah’s interdisciplinary program of research involves research collaborations with academics, artists, practitioners and educators from around the world.
Image: Participants engage as part of Kate Coleman and Sarah Healy’s Hacking the Anthropocene: Climate Stories between Art and Science at CARBON, 2023.
Kate Coleman
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Image: Stefan Kaspar conducts The Biochar Revolution: An Ally against the Climate Crisis at CARBON, 2023.
WORKSHOP
THE BIOCHAR REVOLUTION: AN ALLY AGAINST THE CLIMATE CRISIS Stefan Kaspar presented an enlightening workshop on the wonders of biochar, a key player in the fight against climate change. Participants discovered the science behind biochar production and its application, understanding how this simple yet innovative material can significantly reduce our carbon footprint. Stefan introduced practical methods for producing biochar which demonstrated that everyone, from individual gardeners to large-scale farmers, can contribute to this eco-friendly initiative. This programme was organised in collaboration with Swissnex.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Stefan Kaspar Stefan Kaspar is a dedicated entrepreneur and business leader based in Zurich, Switzerland, with a background in economics from the University of St. Gallen. Stefan Kaspar serves as the founder and co-CEO of B-CHAR, a global carbon removal startup. B-CHAR’s innovative solutions transform bio-waste into valuable biochar, enriching soil health while removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Previous to founding B-CHAR, Stefan Kaspar served as the COO at Swissloop, ETH Zurich’s hyperloop team. Stefan Kaspar started his entrepreneurial journey by co-founding Swissloop Tunneling, and later establishing Circular Horizon both times assuming the role of Co-President.
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Image: Andrea Rasell conducts Carbon Nanoverse: 3D Visualisations in Art at CARBON, 2024.
WORKSHOP
CARBON NANOVERSE: 3D VISUALISATIONS IN ART How do artists and scientists collaborate to create immersive experiences? Participants listened to Jacob Martin and Andrea Rassell as they discussed the behind-the-scenes creation of Carbon Nanoverse, a cutting-edge Virtual Reality (VR) project blending media arts, physical chemistry, and game theory. The session was a deep-dive into a hands-on demonstration of stereoscopic 3D video for VR, which introduced easily accessible media tools for science projects along with a guided tour of the immersive VR experience.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Jacob Martin
Andrea Rassell is a filmmaker, media artist and interdisciplinary researcher in science art. Working in nanoart — artforms that engage with nanoscience and nanotechnology — she creates experimental films and moving image installations that explore technological mediation and the multisensory perception of the sub-molecular realm.
Jacob Martin is a carbon materials scientist and nanotechnologist that studies how we can manufacture carbon for use in the development of renewable energy. He is a physicist, chemist and chemical engineer having completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge in 2020. He then was a research fellow at the Cambridge Centre for Carbon Reduction in Chemical Technology in Singapore working with industry to decarbonise. He is a Forrest Fellow in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Curtin University in Perth, Australia working on advanced carbon materials for decarbonisation with batteries and hydrogen.
Her work has been shown at the New York Imagine Science Festival, Oaxaca FilmFest, the New Zealand International Film Festival, White Night and Sónar+D. Rassell was the 2019 recipient of the Australian Network for Art and Technology’s Synapse residency, where she developed moving image works that explore the social and cultural implications of diagnostic systems in collaboration with the Ian Potter NanoBioSensing Facility. In 2020, Rassell was an artist-in-residence with Tecnológico de Monterrey and a member of the ANAT Ideate programme.
Image: Jacob Martin conducts Carbon Nanoverse: 3D Visualisations in Art at CARBON, 2024.
Andrea Rassell
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Image: Sangeetha Kadur conducts A Sketchbook with Nature at CARBON, 2024.
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A SKETCHBOOK WITH NATURE Nature has always been an incredible source of inspiration. Participants joined wildlife artist Sangeetha Kadur on an exploration walk with nature. By immersing themselves in surroundings, they captured the natural world in our sketchbooks. Sangeetha introduced them to many meticulous and fun ways of filling up journal pages with interesting observations and nature stories.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Image: Participants engage as part of Sangeetha Kadur’s A Sketchbook with Nature at CARBON, 2024.
Sangeetha Kadur Sangeetha Kadur’s exploration into the realm of wildlife and nature painting stems from a deep appreciation for both the natural world and the arts. She aspires to create work that emphasises the importance of our rich biodiversity, and evokes pride and respect of our natural heritage. Sangeetha has facilitated many nature journaling workshops in India and has worked in partnership with wildlife organisations on various art-ecology projects to help build awareness through education and outreach. In recent years, Sangeetha has stepped up to a curatorial role to set up nature information centres where she has led teams to build visual panels about our incredible wildernesses.
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Image: Participants engage as part of Andrea Rassell’s From Data to Sound: The Making of ‘Movement’ 1: Nanomorphology at CARBON, 2024.
WORKSHOP
FROM DATA TO SOUND: THE MAKING OF ‘MOVEMENT 1: NANOMORPHOLOGY’ Nanoscale phenomena are so small that they require complex instruments to study and observe them. But how do you experience these phenomena outside of the laboratory? How can you translate data from the lab into a sound installation? This workshop explored the artistic practices used to create the soundscape for the installation Movement 1: Nanomorphology featured at CARBON. The artist shared digital tools made in Max MSP, and ran a session on how to use the tools with text files of twodimensional scientific, numerical data.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Andrea Rassell Andrea Rassell is a filmmaker, media artist and interdisciplinary researcher in science art. Working in nanoart — artforms that engage with nanoscience and nanotechnology — she creates experimental films and moving image installations that explore technological mediation and the multisensory perception of the sub-molecular realm.
Image: Participants engage as part of Andrea Rassell’s From Data to Sound: The Making of Movement’ 1: Nanomorphology at CARBON, 2024.
Her work has been shown at the New York Imagine Science Festival, Oaxaca FilmFest, the New Zealand International Film Festival, White Night and Sónar+D. Rassell was the 2019 recipient of the Australian Network for Art and Technology’s Synapse residency, where she developed moving image works that explore the social and cultural implications of diagnostic systems in collaboration with the Ian Potter NanoBioSensing Facility. In 2020, Rassell was an artist-in-residence with Tecnológico de Monterrey and a member of the ANAT Ideate programme.
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Image: Nayantara Bagla conducts From Junk to Joules: Planning an Energy Efficient Kitchen at CARBON, 2024.
WORKSHOP
FROM JUNK TO JOULES: PLANNING AN ENERGY EFFICIENT KITCHEN Chef and Nutritionist Nayantara Bagla, anchor of Namma Oota, guided participants through simpler approaches to meal prep. Together, they explored techniques to reduce kitchen waste, including water management, root-toshoot cooking, creative use of food scraps, and better ingredient management.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Nayantara Bagla
Image: Participants engage as part of Nayantara Bagla’s From Junk to Joules: Planning an Energy Efficient Kitchen at CARBON, 2024.
Chef Nayantara Bagla is on an exploration of longevity of both planet and people. As a nutrition coach she helps people fix their relationships with food while working on increasing health span. As a chef she enjoys telling stories of climate resilience through the lens of food systems. A mom to 2 indies who she believes rescued her. She is also the anchor of the Namma Oota food festival at CARBON..
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Image: Honey Islam conducts Brewer’s Buzz: On Kombucha Making at CARBON, 2024.
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BREWER’S BUZZ: ON KOMBUCHA MAKING The workshop was for those intrigued by the world of fermentation but unsure about where to start. In this interactive session, brewers at Mountain Bee Kombucha helped to demystify the art and science of kombucha brewing. The session will cover everything from an introduction to the world to kombucha to understanding the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), and essential steps in brewing.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Honey Islam
Image:Kombucha as part of Honey Islam’s Brewer’s Buzz: On Kombucha Making at CARBON, 2024.
Honey Islam is a kombucha brewer and educator. For the past 5 years she has been running Bangalore’s first commercial kombucha brand called Mountain Bee Kombucha and educating 100s of fermentation enthusiasts the art of kombucha brewing.
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Image: Benson Issac conducts Climate Samvada: Conversations on Well-Being and Hope at CARBON, 2024.
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CLIMATE SAMVADA: CONVERSATIONS ON WELL-BEING AND HOPE What does climate collapse and chaos mean for all of us? How do we move from climate doom to climate hope? What does that hope constitute? How can we think about adaptation and resilience from a perspective of mental health and wellbeing? What are some of the ways in which we can act to find hope and solidarity in the face of environmental and social collapse? Participants joined Benson Issac to explore these questions in a day-long, immersive, theatre-based workshop to talk about personal and collective feelings around climate change. This was a bilingual workshop in Kannada and English. 194 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Benson Issac spent 10 years as Faculty in the School of Development at the Azim Premji University where he taught courses on Social Interventions, Critical Perspectives on Mental health and Illness, Contemporary Social Movements and has always worked using the classroom itself as the first entry point into understanding sociology, anthropology and politics. His association with Greenpeace, CIVIDEP, Samvada, Narmada Bachao Andolan, Mel Jol have shaped his understanding of the world and the complexity and challenges of engaging in processes of social change. He has been working on Climate Change and in the time at Greenpeace as the Programme Director, he focussed on integrating behaviour and mindset shift based campaigning strategies into Greenpeace Programmes.
Working with young people in Agriculture, Handicrafts, Mental Health and exploring socially just and sustainable livelihoods through the platform that Samvada creates has been at the core of his practice. After being reluctantly coaxed into exploring Theatre of the Oppressed, its been an exciting journey and he has been working to integrate TO into the curriculum and classroom settings in the Higher Education space and work with TO and Theatre for Living in many other spaces including Organisation building, sensitisation around issues of sexual harassment, climate change, anti-communal efforts and mental health initiatives. He is part of the programme team at courtyard Koota and has curated theme based events on crafts called spin a yarn and also a music based performative piece on the Indian monsoon and climate change. He presently teaches a course at the Indian Institute of Human Settlements.
Image:Participants engage as part of Benson Issac’s Climate Samvada: Conversations on Well-Being and Hope at CARBON, 2024.
Benson Issac
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Image: Project X Labs conducts Threading it Together: An Exploration of Carbon Fibre at CARBON, 2024.
WORKSHOP
THREADING IT TOGETHER: AN EXPLORATION OF CARBON FIBRE What is carbon fibre and how can you work with it? Properties similar to steel but resembling plastic in weight, carbon fibre finds applications in varied fields from aerospace engineering to the automotive industry. In this workshop, participants got their hands dirty to experience the manufacturing process of carbon fibre components. From layup to curing, they explored the entire production process to unlocking insights applicable across various industries. They were assisted by the engineers from ProjectX Labs!
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ABOUT THE INSTITUTION ProjectX Labs
Image: Carbon fibre components as part of Project X Labs’ Threading it Together: An Exploration of Carbon Fibre at CARBON, 2024.
ProjectX Labs, a dynamic startup spearheaded by a team of Aerospace Engineers, thrives on their boundless passion for aerospace technology and beyond. Their innovative spirit transcends disciplines, offering a diverse range of workshops that delve into composite part manufacturing, drone technology, and more. Through hands-on experiences and immersive learning environments, they empower aspiring minds to explore and excel in various fields. Beyond engineering, their collaborative efforts have yielded remarkable achievements, including the design and development of multirotor and fixed-wing VTOL unmanned aerial vehicles, exemplifying their adaptability and ingenuity. ProjectX Labs is not just a hub for engineering innovation; it’s a vibrant team dedicated to pushing the boundaries of technology and inspiring the next generation of thinkers and creators across diverse domains.
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Image: Julia Wintner conducts Curating Ecologies: An Exploration of Space and Art at CARBON, 2024.
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UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE CHANGE: QUESTIONING BELIEFS, MYTHS AND FACTS Climate change and climate action have entered into the vocabulary of our daily lives. Yet beyond making posters and talking about tokenistic solutions we still know little about it. The ‘Understanding Climate Change: Questioning Beliefs, Myths and Facts’ workshop was a gamified way for students to question beliefs, myths and facts and develop an enhanced understanding of the topic. The intention of this workshop was to move beyond the buzzwords and cliches and get initiated into understanding not only how climate change affects us but how we can create impact at personal and societal levels. This workshop was organised on two different days. The contents of the workshop were repeated on both days. This programme was supported by the American Centre Chennai. 198 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Shravan Shankar
Image: Participants engage as part of Shravan Shankar’s Understanding Climate Change: Questioning Beliefs, Myths and Facts at CARBON, 2024.
Shravan is a co-founder at Climake, a platform to improve access to finance for climate action, that has enabled access of over USD 60 million to climate enterprises so far. He has over 15 years experience working in sustainable development with organisations across Asia and Europe, and in developing national policies in India and Sri Lanka. He has previously co-founded AtWorks, an impact entrepreneurship ecosystem builder, that was recognised as a circular economy solution for India by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation and has been recognized with a National Award on Smart City Solutions by the Government of India.
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Image: Shravan Shankar conducts Understanding Climate Change: Questioning Beliefs, Myths and Facts at CARBON, 2024.
WORKSHOP
CURATING ECOLOGIES: AN EXPLORATION OF SPACE AND ART How do we use space while curating exhibitions? How can a spatial layout transform individual artworks to successfully convey large themes around ecology and the environment? Is there anything like an ‘unsuitable’ space? In this workshop, participants joined curator Julia Wintner to explore questions around space and curation—from building relationships with artists to understanding the spatial concerns of an exhibition. With guidance from her, they also got to conceptualise a speculative art display in a space at Science Gallery Bengaluru.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Julia Wintner
Image: Participants engage as part of Julia Wintner’s Curating Ecologies: An Exploration of Space and Art at CARBON, 2024.
Julia Wintner is a professional curator, critic and art historian. She is the Director and Head Curator of the Art Gallery at Eastern Connecticut State University. This Spring as part of her Fulbright-Nehru Award she taught a class on Collaborative curating at Srishti Manipal Insitute of Art Design and Technology, Bangalore.
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Image: Shanthamani Muddaiah conducts Of Materials and Medium: Carbon in Art at CARBON, 2024.
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OF MATERIALS AND MEDIUM: CARBON IN ART How do we define carbon? How can we explore it in the art we create? Carbon’s various structures and unique properties—be it charcoal, graphite, or diamond—can be harnessed to create works of art. Using the chemical structures of carbon as a visual language, artist Shanthamani Muddaiah guided participants through the process of creating their own art with charcoal.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Shanthamani Muddaiah
Image: Participants engage as part of Shanthamani Muddaiah’s Of Materials and Medium: Carbon in Art at CARBON, 2024.
Shanthamani Muddaiah was born in Mysore, Karnataka, India in 1967. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Painting from Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts, Mysore University, India. Her Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Painting is from M.S. University, Baroda, India. In 2004, she was in Glasgow, Scotland for a paper-making course under the Charles Wallace Scholarship. Between 2006 to 2008 and 2014 to 2016, she received both Junior and Senior research grants under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India. In 2017 she was invited for an artist residency program in Cité Des Arts, under The Ministry of Culture, France. In 2019, Muddaiah was invited to do a community project in Settle, Yorkshire, UK.
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Image: Sasha John conducts Building Resilient Climate Futures: Exploring AI in Climate Action at CARBON, 2024.
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BUILDING RESILIENT CLIMATE FUTURES: EXPLORING AI IN CLIMATE ACTION Can AI and other technological tools affect the future of climate action in Asia? And how can you assess these nuanced climate futures? Researchers Dona Mathew and Sasha John delved into the intersection of AI and climate action, while highlighting the Digital Futures Lab’s research. Participants discovered how to spot trends and signals that hint at future climate scenarios through hands-on activities. The facilitators helped participants to imagine and design the climate futures using foresight methodologies and creative thinking exercises.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Sasha John is a dedicated researcher and curator at the Digital Futures Lab, where she focuses on exploring the intersection between technology and communities in the Majority World. With a focus on peoplefirst narratives, Sasha uses partnerships, expertise, and arts to perform critical research on the effects of technology. As Public Engagement Manager, her work focuses on communicating DFL’s research to audiences within and outside of policy and academic circles through reports, creative outputs, events and workshops. In addition to her job at the DFL, Sasha John acts as the Project Coordinator of the Responsible AI Impact Lab (RAIL). RAIL is a pioneering capacity-strengthening effort aimed to provide social impact organisations with the
knowledge and resources needed to appropriately integrate AI technology into their work. Sasha has previously worked on projects focused on assessing and mitigating gender bias along the LLM value chain in India, building responsible ed-tech in India and navigating AI’s role in the arts. Dona Mathew Dona Mathew, a trained lawyer, specialises in qualitative and quantitative research and legislative drafting. At Digital Futures Lab, she explores AI’s societal impact in India and Asia, focusing on climate change and legal institutions.
Image: Participants engage as part of Sasha John and Dona Mathew’s Building Resilient Climate Futures: Exploring AI in Climate Action at CARBON, 2024.
Sasha John
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Image: Arunkumar H.G conducts Tracing Material: From Resource to Waste to Art at CARBON, 2024.
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TRACING MATERIALS: FROM RESOURCE TO WASTE TO ART What does ‘material’ or ‘medium’ mean to an artist? Do materials themselves provide rich narratives and social histories? Visual artist Arunkumar H G certainly thinks so! In this workshop he delved into the origins and historical contexts of materials, while they transformed from resources to waste. Participants were encouraged to bring their own accumulation of waste, to examine how we perceive and interpret waste. They then worked with Arunkumar H G to transform these materials into art objects, highlighting the qualities and significance of the seemingly mundane.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR ArunKumar HG Arunkumar H.G earned his Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Fine Arts (Sculpture) from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in 1993 and 1995. In 2014, he established the Centre for Knowledge and Environment in the Western Ghats region of Karnataka, India.
Arunkumar H.G’s artistic journey intertwines with environmental stewardship, evident in his multifaceted exhibitions and impactful residencies, making a significant mark in the contemporary art scene.
Image: Participants engage as part of Arunkumar H.G.’s Tracing Material: From Resource to Waste to Art at CARBON, 2024.
Renowned for his solo exhibitions such as “Con-struction” at Gallery Espace, New Delhi, and “Seed of Reckoning ‘’ at Mumbai Art Room, Arunkumar has showcased his works globally. Notable group exhibitions include New Natures: A Terrible Beauty is Born at MMB Mumbai, Kochi Muziris Biennale, and Embrace Our Rivers at Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan Chennai.
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EVENT
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Image: Arunkumar H.G conducts Tracing Material: From Resource to Waste to Art at CARBON, 2024.
EVENT
OF PIGMENTS AND PROCESS: ARTIST TALK WITH ANAÏS TONDEUR At CARBON, Anaïs Tondeur’s exhibit, Carbon Black featured the photographed skies of Scotland and Bengaluru, India. The photographs were printed using an ink derived from carbon black particulate matter collected from the atmosphere. In her artist talk, Tondeur invited us to draw our attention to the sky—not as an object of contemplation or as a mirror to our earthly lives. But rather as the milieu on which, from one breath to the next, our lives depend. Exploring the relationship between air, breathing, art and ethics, she shared the photographic processes which lie at the core of the Carbon Black project. She shared her experiences on recent speculative and image-making processes she develops as an ecological practice. 210 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Anaïs Tondeur Merging natural sciences and anthropology, myth-making, and new media, visual artist Anaïs Tondeur’s practice is anchored in ecology thought. Creating installations, photographs, or videos, she seeks a new aesthetic, in the sense of a renewal of our modes of perception, to find other conditions of being in the world.
Image: Participants engage as part of Arunkumar H.G.’s Tracing Material: From Resource to Waste to Art at CARBON, 2024.
She has been an artist-in-residence in several art centres and scientific laboratories, which include LeCentQuatreGrand Paris Express (2018 – 2019), Artlink (Ireland, 2019), the Museum of Arts et Métiers (Paris, 2018 – 2017), and the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES, Paris, 2016).
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Image: Anaïs Tondeur conducts Of Pigments and Process at CARBON, 2024.
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CAPTURING THE UNSEEN: DECODING AIR QUALITY THROUGH FUNGI SHEETS How does an artist, armed with a backpack and fungi, understand the quality of our air? In this artist walk-and-talk around Cubbon park, Ana Laura Cantera shared insights from her art practice! In accompanying her, participants got a behind-the-scenes look into her process of creating the exhibit Territorial Inhalations, displayed at Science Gallery Bengaluru’s CARBON exhibition. Diving into the technicalities behind capturing smog and suspended gases in the air, using extractors and biomaterials, participants immersed themselves in an exploration of the air we breathe, the unseen pollutants that surround us, and the profound impact of our carbon footprint.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Ana Laura Cantera
Cantera is a developer and creator of biomaterials, specialising in designs grown from mushroom mycelium and in biobased materials made with local waste. Recently, she received the First Prize Itaú in the Robotic Arts category and the Global Community Bio Fellows fellowship at MIT. She also leads research projects linked to bio-interactivity and 3D bio-printing. She has exhibited her artworks in exhibitions and festivals across the world.
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Image: Participants engage as part of Anaïs Tondeur’s Of Pigments and Process: Artist Talk at CARBON, 2024.
Ana Laura Cantera is a transmedia artist, researcher and professor. She works at the intersection of art, technology, science, and sustainability from a decolonial perspective. She is currently a PhD candidate in Arts and Techno-aesthetics and has a Master’s degree in Electronic Arts at National University of Tres de Febrero, a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts and a degree as Art Teacher at University of Arts (UNA).
Image:Visitors engage with an exhibit as part of Jane Tingley’s talk From Roots to Pixels: Where Art Meets Ecology at CARBON, 2023.
EVENT
FROM ROOTS TO PIXELS: WHERE ART MEETS ECOLOGY Artist Jane Tingley’s public talk was about the fascinating world of a tree’s inner life. At CARBON, Tingley’s exhibit featured ecosensors attached to a tree in the gallery. These sensors gathered data around the tree, tracking its interactions with the environment. The data was then transmitted to an interactive installation in the gallery. Participants got to hear the artist share her inspiration for this work, and discovered what went behind its creation.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Nidhi Pal, Programme Participant
Jane Tingley is an artist, curator, director of the Sympoietic Living Ontologies Lab (SLOlab) and Associate Professor at York University in Toronto, Canada. Her studio work combines traditional studio practice with new media tools—and spans responsive/interactive installation, performative robotics, and telematically connected distributed sculptures/ installations. Her works are interdisciplinary in nature and explore the creation of spaces and experiences that push the boundaries between science and magic, interactivity and playfulness, and offer an experience to the viewer that is accessible both intellectually and technologically. Using distributed technologies, her current work investigates the hidden complexity found in the natural world and explores the deep interconnections between the human and non-human relationships.
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Image:Visitors engage with an exhibit as part of Jane Tingley’s talk From Roots to Pixels: Where Art Meets Ecology at CARBON, 2023.
“
I learnt that the entire process of curating something interactive and interdisciplinary— driven by curiosity and designed for the public—can spark a shift in how people think about pressing questions and abstract ideas, like experiencing the life of a tree.”
Jane Tingley
Image: Participants engage as part of Malavika B and Neeladri Chowduhry’s session Terra Myco: A Mushroom Foraging Journey at CARBON, 2023.
EVENT
TERRA MYCO: A MUSHROOM FORAGING JOURNEY Social ecologist Malavika B and biologist Neeladri Chowdhury took participants into the fantastic world of fungi. The session included learning about different mushrooms, ways to identify them, information about habitats and microclimates in which specific species exist as well as the many different roles they play in the ecosystem.
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ABOUT THE FASCILITATORS Neeladri Chowdhury
Malavika B is a public educator bringing fungi to the people, and the people to fungi. They began foraging for mushrooms nearly a decade ago, which led them to a social, cultural, and ecological exploration of the kingdom of fungi. Their work is focused on investigating the interplay of community and ecology through the lens of fungi. They host urban fungi forays, examining the city as a dynamic social–ecological system. Their public workshops intertwine mycology and queer theory with the aim of cultivating alternative paradigms of self and other. Through their work, they foster a community of mycophiles across India, creating space for scientific learning and novel interpretations of a shared ecology.
Neeladri Chowdhury is a scientist by profession and works broadly in the field of biotechnology. He focuses primarily on the development of technologies or products by using his knowledge of biology and engineering to address societal issues. He works as the head of RnD for Nuvedo Labs Pvt. Ltd, a mushroom focused company that aims to bring the benefits of medicinal mushrooms to the Indian population. He also works as a Translation Scientist at C-CAMP, India's foremost life sciences incubator where he works on projects to bring the best academic science to the market through the development of innovative products.
Image: Participants engage as part of Malavika B and Neeladri Chowduhry’s session Terra Myco: A Mushroom Foraging Journey at CARBON, 2023.
Malavika B
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Image: Participants engage as part of Berty Ashley and RRK’s jam session Jam and Two Hosts at CARBON, 2023.
EVENT
JAM AND TWO HOSTS What happens when you bring together two quiz masters, part-time musicians, dad-joke experts, and scientists? You end up with a jam session full of banter and songs you probably forgot! Berty and RRK hosted a fun evening of music, dance, jokes and a lot more at the Science Gallery Bengaluru.
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ABOUT THE FASCILITATORS Rajesh Radhakrishnan
Berty Ashley is a Molecular Geneticist at Dystrophy Annihilation Research Trust (DART). At DART, he focuses on developing personalised genetic therapies for rare disorders like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. DART, a parentrun organisation, has the unique ability to create artificial DNA. In 2020, DART became the first organisation in India to receive permission for a genetic therapy clinical trial. Berty eagerly awaits the trial results.
Rajesh Radhakrishnan, or RRK as his friends call him, is the odd man out in any group! He is the singer among quizzers, the emcee among dancers, the quiz master among musicians, and the athlete among computer scientists. When he is not out singing at karaokes or trying to mash up song videos (ask him and he will passionately talk about it), he acts as the Chief Fun Officer at PhonePe. He is/ has been the lead singer of various bands, chief among them being RRK and the Stool Pigeons, and Groove BLR. His favourite activity is napping!
Apart from his research, Berty enjoys attending concerts and participating in quizzes. Berty’s love for music is evident as he collects vinyl records and plays guitar, keyboards, and drums in three bands. Quizzing has been a passion since his school days, and Berty has developed his own distinctive style infused with humour and pop-culture references.
Image: Berty Ashley and RRK conduct a jam session at Jam and Two Hosts at CARBON, 2023.
Berty Ashley
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A still from the film Have You Seen The Arana?, Sunanda Bhat, 2012.
EVENT
HAVE YOU SEEN THE ARANA? In a world that has grown more dynamic and uncertain, where diversity and differences make way for standardisation and uniformity, this film explores the effects of a rapidly changing landscape on people’s lives and livelihoods. Set in Wayanad, part of the fragile ecosystem of the western mountain range in South India, the film takes you on a journey through a region that is witnessing drastic transformation in the name of ‘development’. An adivasi woman’s concern over the disappearance of medicinal plants from the forest, a local farmer’s commitment to growing traditional varieties of rice organically and a cash crop cultivator’s struggle to survive amidst farmers’ suicides, offer fresh insights into shifting relations between people, their knowledge systems and environment. Interwoven into these contemporary narratives is an ancient 220 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
tribal creation myth that traces the passage of their ancestors across this land, recalling past ways of reading and mapping the terrain. As hills flatten, forests disappear and traditional knowledge systems are forgotten, the film reminds us that this diversity could disappear forever, to be replaced by monotonous and unsustainable alternatives. Ecologist Samira Agnihotri and filmmaker Sunanda Bhat discussed the film and delved into the profound effects of a rapidly changing landscape on people’s lives and livelihoods.
ABOUT THE FASCILITATORS Samira Agnihotri
Sunanda Bhat’s interest in non-fiction is to represent people in an intricate and stratified society, while bringing in textures of landscape through layers of their lives. Her first documentary “Bol Ayesha Bol” [Speak Ayesha Speak] premiered at the International Film Festival, Amsterdam. “Ningal aranaye kando?” [Have you seen the arana?], a film on the ecologically sensitive region of Wayanad, won critical acclaim with the Golden Conch for Best Documentary and Best Cinematography and Best Sound awards at the Mumbai International Film Festival; John Abraham National award at Signs Film Festival in Kerala, Mark Haslam Award for Best Documentary at the Planet in Focus Festival, Toronto, ‘Monde en Regards’ award at the Jean Rouch Film Festival, Paris, a Special Mention at idsffk among others. It was the opening film at ‘Cinedebates’ at Muse ́e de l’homme in Paris and was featured at the India Film Week at Metropolis Kino, an art-house cinema theatre, in Germany.
The overarching theme of Samira Agnihotri’s research is ‘listening ecology,’ which aims to draw attention to diverse voices, both human and non-human. In doing so, it encourage people to listen more to the sounds of nature around them, and to each other. Her work crosses disciplinary boundaries, from birdsong and ecology and bioacoustics to anthropology and linguistics. Her work is embedded in the eco-cultural landscape of the BR Hills, where she has worked since 2004 in collaboration with the Soliga people.
Sunanda Bhat discusses her film Have You Seen the Arana? with Samira Agnihotri at CARBON, 2024.
Sunanda Bhat
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Rashmi Sawhney leading the discussion Copy Shop and Song of Styrene at CARBON, 2024.
EVENT
COPY SHOP AND SONG OF STYRENE Copy Shop and Song of Styrene was a captivating cinematic experience, delving into the intriguing world of carbon through two remarkable films: Copy Shop by Virgil Widrich and Song of Styrene by Alain Resnais. The screening and discussion aimed to explore the connections between cinema, materiality, and the impact of carbon on our lives. More about Copy Shop: Unknowingly, a copy shop employee sets off a bizarre series of events with utterly unforeseen consequences. Through meticulous craftsmanship and a distinctive animation technique, Copy Shop explores the power of technology to reshape reality and the ethical dilemmas it brings. More about Song of Styrene: Experience a poetic exploration of the industrial world in Song of Styrene. This visually striking 222 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
documentary, commissioned by a plastic manufacturing company, offers a unique perspective on the production process of plastic and its cultural implications. Through Alan Resnais’ visionary direction, the film becomes a meditation on the interplay between art, industry, and the materiality of carbon-based products.
ABOUT THE FASCILITATORS Rashmi Sawhney
Virgil Widrich is a screenwriter, film
Rashmi Sawhney is a Bangalore-based cultural theorist and associate professor in Film and Cultural Studies at Christ University. She writes on cinema and the visual arts and is co-founder with Lucia Imaz King, of VisionMix, an international network of artists, filmmakers and researchers. Her curatorial projects include Future Orbits and Video Vortex XI, both as collaterals of the 2017 Kochi Muziris Biennale; Set.Reset on ‘Cinema and Labour’ at The House of Inquiry, Goa, 2018; and Loss and Transience, Hong-Gah Museum, Taipei, March-May 2021. She has recently edited volumes such as Women at Work: The Cultural and Creative Industries (2020) and The Moving Image: South Asian Trajectories (2018).
director, multimedia artist and professor of Art & Science at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. His short film Copy Shop was nominated for an Oscar. In total, his work has been awarded over 290 international awards. Virgil Widrich is involved in a variety of roles as project manager, conceptionalist, exhibition designer or artistic director in the creation of screenplays, short and feature films, music videos, installations, exhibitions and entire museums, as well as in international research projects.
A still from the film Copy Shop”by Virgil Widrich at CARBON, 2024.
Virgil Widrich
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Urmila Lakshmanan conducts the quiz In The Gallery: A Fine Coal Miner at CARBON, 2024.
EVENT
IN THE GALLERY: A FINE COAL MINER Did you know that Indian Ink was actually invented in China? Did you know that the man who discovered oxygen also made the first carbonated drink? Did you know that coal is the biggest freight earner for the Indian Railways? Do you know what your nail polish is made of? These were some of the questions asked in previous quizzes. The first in-house quiz at the Science Gallery Bengaluru, and the third at CARBON, will draw from the sciences, the arts, the coal mines and other walks of life, very much like the Dire Straits song referenced in the title. This National Science Day, come on over for an evening of more such fun facts about carbon.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Urmila Lakshmanan
Urmila Lakshmanan conducts the quiz In The Gallery: A Fine Coal Miner at CARBON, 2024.
Urmila Lakshmanan has worked in a bank, a school and more than one consultancy, newspaper and software company. She likes puzzles of various kinds and is also a quizzer and a quizmaster.
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Urmila Lakshmanan conducts the quiz Data Mining: Hard Facts About Carbon at CARBON, 2023.
EVENT
DATA MINING: HARD FACTS ABOUT CARBON Did you know that carbon forms more compounds than all the other elements combined? Why is coal the most despised fuel? How long does it take for a natural diamond to form? In this quiz we dig deep into the structure of carbon and all its forms. Come join us for an evening of interesting quizzing.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Urmila Lakshmanan
Urmila Lakshmanan conducts the quiz Data Mining: Hard Facts About Carbon at CARBON, 2023.
Urmila Lakshmanan has worked in a bank, a school and more than one consultancy, newspaper and software company. She likes puzzles of various kinds and is also a quizzer and a quizmaster.
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Berty Ashley conducts the event Fizzy Quizzing at CARBON, 2023.
EVENT
FIZZY QUIZZING! Join us for an evening of quizzing and bubbly drinks! As you sip a carbonated beverage and answer questions about the myriad ways in which carbon has shaped the planet and its geography, life and the civilizations borne by it. In this fizzy carbon quiz, you will get to meet scientists, superheroes, extinct animals, mythical beings, and even a few cartoon characters! Kick-off your Saturday evening thinking of, and experiencing all things carbon.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Berty Ashley Berty Ashley is a Molecular Geneticist at Dystrophy Annihilation Research Trust (DART). At DART, he focuses on developing personalised genetic therapies for rare disorders like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. DART, a parentrun organisation, has the unique ability to create artificial DNA. In 2020, DART became the first organisation in India to receive permission for a genetic therapy clinical trial. Berty eagerly awaits the trial results.
Berty Ashley conducts the event Fizzy Quizzing at CARBON, 2023.
Apart from his research, Berty enjoys attending concerts and participating in quizzes. Berty’s love for music is evident as he collects vinyl records and plays guitar, keyboards, and drums in three bands. Quizzing has been a passion since his school days, and Berty has developed his own distinctive style infused with humour and pop-culture references.
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Image: Nikki Buzzi delivers his lecture Into the Voids of Perception: On Listening to the Unheard at CARBON, 2023.
EVENT
INTO THE VOIDS OF PERCEPTION: ON LISTENING TO THE UNHEARD Today’s ecological crises are calls to action. However, to change and appreciate the world, we also need to expand our perception of it. Into the Voids of Perception: On Listening to the Unheard intended to do that by expanding the range of perspectives we can have on our environment, focusing on the choices that lie within perception. Artist Nikki Buzzi spoke about how the act of listening and their engagement with the environment informed their practice. This was followed by a sound and music experience, with the aim of activating varying perspectives that allow for ambiguity in deciding what’s real. The event consisted of a journey through particular sonic realities and how we can change the way we approach them. 230 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR Nikki Buzzi
Image:Nikki Buzzi delivers his lecture Into the Voids of Perception: On Listening to the Unheard at CARBON, 2023.
Nikki Buzzi is a composer, performer and sound artist based in Zurich, Switzerland and Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Their work spans various fields including music, installation art, media art, performing arts, film and education. They hold an MA in Electroacoustic Composition and currently act as Technical Director of the Studio for Electronic Music and Acoustics at the HfMDK Frankfurt. Buzzi focuses on the potential of appropriation and the use of advanced technological knowledge to negotiate and disarm historical ballast of cultural practices that are rooted in the timelines of European art music. Their solo and collaborative practice produces artefacts that are often site-specific, performance-oriented, and closely related to acoustic phenomena and perception mechanisms.
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Image: Damian Christinger in conversation with Jahnavi Phalkey for Beneath the Surface: On Exhibiting Blue Carbon at CARBON, 2024.
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BENEATH THE SURFACE: ON EXHIBITING BLUE CARBON Nearly three-fourths of this planet is covered in water, and within the depths lies a silent force—Blue Carbon. Coastal ecosystems, like mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal marshes, act as guardians, storing and retaining atmospheric carbon dioxide to counterbalance climate change. Curator Damian Christinger and historian Jahnavi Phalkey discussed the mysteries that lie beneath the surface. The dialogue began with a commentary on the exhibit ‘Blue Carbon’, expanding into the broader context of our relationship with Carbon. The event was a fascinating deep-dive into the intersection of art and science, unravelling how these disciplines collaborate to bring cuttingedge research to the public within cultural settings like galleries and museums. 232 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
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This event gave me a new perspective and made me realise how important it is for us, as a society, to engage with new ideas—these should be the conversations we’re having around our dinner tables” Suhasini Patil, Programme Participant
ABOUT THE FASCILITATORS Damian Christinger
Jahnavi Phalkey
Damian Christinger studied Global Art History and Intercultural Studies. He now works as an independent curator, writer, and lectures at different institutions on transcultural theory and practice, the Anthropocene, and indigenous knowledge. He curated exhibitions at the Museum Rietberg, Zurich (2014/15), for TBA21’s “The Current” (2015/16), “Assembleia Mothertree” (2018) in collaboration with Ernesto Neto, Fondation Beyeler, and Daniela Zyman, the Johann Jacobs Museum Zurich (2019), Habitat at Wyss Academy for Nature, Berne, Vientiane, Nairobi and Lima, and since 2022 at Espace Diaphanes, Löwenbräu Zurich. He was also the co-curator (with Ravi Agarwal) for “Time as a Mother” at the Serendipity Festival 2023 in Panjim, Goa.
Jahnavi Phalkey was appointed Founding Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru in November 2018. Previously, she was faculty at King’s College London. She started her academic career at the University of Heidelberg, following which she was based at Georgia Tech-Lorraine, France, and Imperial College London.
Image: Damian Christinger in conversation with Jahnavi Phalkey for Beneath the Surface: On Exhibiting Blue Carbon at CARBON, 2024.
Phalkey was Fellow, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (the Institute of Advanced Study, Berlin). She was external curator to the Science Museum London, and has been a Scholar-in-Residence at the Deutsches Museum, Munich. She is the author of Atomic State: Big Science in Twentieth Century India and has coedited Science of Giants: China and India in the Twentieth Century. She is also the producer-director of the documentary film Cyclotron.
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Image: Participants engage as part of Edible Issues tasting event Ripe for Change: A Biodiverse Banana Tasting Event at CARBON, 2024.
EVENT
RIPE FOR CHANGE: A BIODIVERSE BANANA TASTING EVENT In the recent past, numerous articles, reports, and papers have highlighted the alarming disappearance of bananas. Factors such as pests, infestations, lack of varieties, and the impact of climate change have all contributed to this concerning trend. The event was a collaborative effort between Edible Issues and Science Gallery Bengaluru to unravel the complexities of the banana industry. Together, we delved into the rich diversity of bananas in India, exploring the varieties available in our local mandis. Our was to initiate a meaningful conversation about banana policies, markets, and the future of this beloved yellow fruit. Participants were encouraged to engage their senses fully, appreciating the diverse range of banana varieties, reflecting on personal memories associated with this fruit, and posing critical questions about how bananas will evolve in the future. 234 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
ABOUT THE INSTITUTION Edible Issues
Image: Edible Issues conduct a tasting event Ripe for Change: A Biodiverse Banana Tasting Event at CARBON, 2024.
Edible Issues is a food systems collective fostering thought and conversation on the Indian food system through public participatory events, research projects, meetups, and more.
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Image: Jagriti Theatre performs The Clearing: A Play Reading at CARBON, 2024.
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THE CLEARING: A PLAY READING The reading of the Clearing was presented by Jagriti Theatre. The Clearing is based on scientific input from Dr Suhel Qader of the Nature Conservation Foundation, on information from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and on the invaluable stories from the Soliga people of B.R. Hills, Karnataka, India. The Clearing was produced by Mallya Aditi International School as part of their 25th Anniversary celebrations and as part of the Theatrescience India project, originally supported by the Wellcome Trust, UK and NCBS, in particular Dr Mukund Thattai. 236 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
How do we make sense of ‘invasive’ species? What are the complexities they bring to different ecosystems? And do Homo sapiens also act as an invasive species? Lantana camara was introduced into India by the British in the early 1800s and was subsequently discovered to be one of the world’s most invasive species. Lantana camara lurks in the background as a character in this play, set in the forests of South India. The behaviour of floral invasive species has parallels with that of human invaders and The Clearing is a play about invasions, intended or otherwise.
ABOUT THE FASCILITATORS
ABOUT THE INSTITUTION
Gautam Raja
Jagriti Theatre
Gautam Raja, the playwright of The Clearing, has written several other plays, two of which were also written for Theatre Science. The Invisible River is based on the possible presence of bacteriophages in the Ganga and The Vaidya’s Oath based on the ever present problem of Antimicrobial Resistance.
Jagriti is a Performance Arts space dedicated to Theatre, Music, Dance and Comedy. Founded in 2011 by Arundhati and Jagdish Raja, the space has hosted several productions from India and around the world. A 200-seat theatre built around a full-thrust stage, it is fully equipped to cater to both artistes and audience. The main stage is designed for intimate performances, with adjoining spaces for informal lectures and gatherings, and an attached restaurant.
Image:Jagriti Theatre performs The Clearing: A Play Reading at CARBON, 2024.
Jagriti is owned and operated by the notfor profit ART Foundation, a registered charitable trust.
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05 FESTIVALS Film Festival Namma Oota
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Image: Visitors at the CARBON Film Festival, 2024.
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On 6th and 7th July 2024, we hosted the CARBON Film Festival, a free two-day event at Bangalore International Centre. Featuring 19 films in 12 languages, the festival aimed to spark conversations around carbon’s pivotal role in our lives through a multidisciplinary lens. Timed to coincide with the penultimate weekend of the CARBON exhibition, the festival served as a platform to engage the public with the themes of climate and the environment through cinema.
Image: Shaunak Sen discusses his film All That Breathes with Ravi Chellam and Garima Bhatia at CARBON Film Festival, 2024. 4.
The films, selected through an open call and curated in collaboration with All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF), included works chosen by a jury comprising filmmakers Akanksha Sood Singh, Nakul Singh Sawhney, and our team. The programme included invited films following the same thematic framework as the CARBON exhibition. Highlights from Day 1 included a screening of the Academy Award-nominated All That Breathes, followed by a discussion with filmmaker Shaunak Sen, ornithologist
Garima Bhatia and conservation expert Ravi Chellam. Day 2 featured animated films and a panel discussion with filmmakers Nirupa Rao, Fabian Driehorst, and Aniruddh Menon of Spitting Image Studio, exploring the creative intersection of animation and environmental storytelling. Through this festival, we extended the themes of the CARBON exhibition into a new medium, using cinema to inspire deeper understanding and dialogue on the environment. CARBON 2024 / 241
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Image: Visitors at the CARBON Film Festival, 2024.
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Image:Visitors at the CARBON Film Festival, 2024.
Image:Nirupa Rao discusses their film Spirit of the Forest with Anirudh Menon at the CARBON Film Festival, 2024.
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Science Gallery Bengaluru hosted a food festival, Namma Oota (“Our Food”), on the 6th and 7th April 2024 as part of the CARBON. Designed to complement and expand the exhibition’s themes, Namma Oota showcased the versatility of carbon through the lens of culinary arts and the lifecycle of carbon. The festival explored the critical intersections between carbon and food systems, touching on themes like Carbon and Farming, Carbon and Cooking, and Carbon and Lifestyle. Visitors were invited to reflect on how food systems
Image: Performance at the Open Mic at Namma Oota at CARBON, 2024.
generate significant waste and how they might be reimagined from source to consumption and decomposition. With a farmer’s market-inspired ambience, the festival featured a wide array of participating brands and organisations, including Bakahu Millet Adda, Black Baza Coffee, Green Apron, Mountain Bee Kombucha, and many more, encouraging engagement with sustainable food practices across all age groups. Curated in collaboration with Functional
Nutrition Coach and Chef Nayantara Bagla, Namma Oota fostered meaningful discussions and collaborations between stakeholders in the food ecosystem. Through interactive sessions, visitors explored innovative approaches to reducing food waste and fostering sustainable consumption. Namma Oota successfully brought together science, culture, and culinary arts, spotlighting local organisations committed to reshaping the future of food and inspiring visitors to rethink their consumption patterns. CARBON 2024 / 245
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Image: Participants engage at Namma Oota at CARBON, 2024.
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Image: Participants engage at Namma Oota at CARBON, 2024.
Image: Participants engage at Namma Oota at CARBON, 2024.
06 TRAVELLING EXHIBITIONS Critical Zones Coexistence: The Great Elephant Migration 248 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
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Image: Panel Discussion on Waste Management as part of CARBON, 2024.
CRITICAL ZONES 16.02.2024 – 18.03.2024 Partners: Centre for Art and Media (ZKM), Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan
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We hosted the travelling exhibition Critical Zones in collaboration with the Centre for Art and Media (ZKM) and the GoetheInstitut/Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore. The exhibition, conceptualised by Bruno Latour and Peter Weibel, was accompanied by a series of events, including workshops, film screenings, performances, and public lectures. It included a screening of the academy-award winning film The Elephant Whisperer, which was followed by a conversation between filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves and wildlife conservation scientist Raman Sukumar. We also hosted a panel discussion on waste management in the city featuring policy makers, chefs, waste workers and more. In addition to this, the opening weekend saw a workshop organised by artists Uriel Orlow and Ravi Agarwal and the closing weekend hosted a performance by artists Dayita Nereyth and Ainesh Madan.
Image: Still from Coexistence Consortium’s exhibit Coexistence: The Great Elephant Migration, 2024.
COEXISTENCE: THE GREAT ELEPHANT MIGRATION 07.02.2024 – 03.03.2024 Partners: Coexistence Consortium
Coexistence: The Great Elephant Migration was a travelling exhibition by the Coexistence Consortium, with Science Gallery Bengaluru as a programme partner. The exhibition featured life-sized elephants crafted from Lantana reeds, which were displayed across various parts of the city and prominently at the entrance to our gallery. We also hosted a photography exhibition showcasing compelling stories of human-wildlife interactions. Additionally, our portico featured an exhibition curated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, exploring nature-culture relationships. The final element of the Coexistence exhibition was a series of talks that reimagined narratives around ecological conservation.
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07 LEARNING PROGRAMMES Summer School Capturing Carbon: Writing Workshop Open Courseware Mediator Programme 252 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
During CARBON, we experimented with a multitude of learning programmes and formats. From a four-week residential Summer School to a 12-month Mediator Programme, we created young-adult focused learning programmes to engage with the multiplicity of carbon. The versatility of carbon’s role in our lives made it important to engage with the theme critically. In June and July 2022, we ran our first month-long residential Summer School, centered around the climate crisis and carbon’s role within it. We brought together ecologists, biologists, artists, and activists to think about the role of carbon in ecology. Made possible with support from the Transforming Education for Sustainable Futures (TESF) grant, we invited young adults aged 18 to 30 years to apply for the programme. Hosted at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, participants from across India were exposed to this institution and the cutting-edge research taking place there. In the last week, participants had the opportunity to think about an exhibit or programme idea for the CARBON exhibition-season. Some of these ideas and research have made their way into SGB’s pilot Open Courseware.
pieces around carbon which were featured in our digital exhibition. In CARBON, we also began our full-time, year-long Mediator Programme. Our 11 full-time mediators received more than 300 hours of training, created learning experiences and resources, and drove visitor experience during the exhibitionseason. The success of this model has strengthened our conviction towards these types of mentorship programmes, which we hope to continue in our exhibitions going forward.
Some of the lectures and research that came out of the Summer School was reinterpreted into a set of five modules. The modules approach climate change and carbon through the lens of biophysics, art, technology, lived experience, and more. Each module consists of expert-led lecture videos, documentary films, articles to read, as well as exercises and assignments that promote critical engagement with the respective topics. This Open Courseware has been used by teachers for upskilling and by university students to gain a deeper understanding into the theme of carbon and ecology. Expanding our Participatory Programmes, we also held a 12-week Writing Workshop in collaboration with Fulbright Nehru scholar Jay Barber. This exposed participants to the intersection of science and creative writing, and they were able to write new CARBON 2024 / 253
SUMMER SCHOOL Date: 13.06. 2022 – 08.07.2022 Partners: Economic and Social Research Council, UK Research and Innovation (ESRC - UKRI), Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), Transforming Education for Sustainable Futures (TESF), Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS) Location: National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) We hosted a residential Summer School exploring the role of carbon in the Anthropocene. The aim of the project was to bring together theoretical frameworks, the lab, the field, and the archives, to construct an interdisciplinary and socially engaged way to think about carbon. Using the rich resources of research and cultural institutions as well as community initiatives in Bangalore, the 19 participants in the Summer School explored how carbon is an integral part of the city. Participants also developed their own projects as a part of the school which addressed their specific concerns around climate change and carbon.
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Image: Participants at the Summer School, 2022.
CAPTURING CARBON Date: 04.02.2023 – 14.05.2023 Partners: United States India Educational Foundation (USIEF) Location: Indian Institute of Science, Atta Galatta For 12 weeks, SGB along with Fulbright Nehru scholar Jay Barber hosted a cohort of young writers exploring the intersection of carbon and creative expression. These writers conceptualised graphite pencils, nanotubes, fire, the carbon cycle, the genesis of the elements, and other carbon-based ideas as fodder for their writing. The workshop saw the participation of science journalist Anil Anathaswamy, artist Sofy Yuditskaya, designer Ipsa Jain and author Shalinin Sreenivasan, who conducted guest lectures. In an effort to share the cohort’s creative works and to expand the public’s conceptual understanding of carbon, the cohort performed their poetry, nonfiction, fiction, and mixed media creations at Atta Galatta. Barber also worked with the SGB team to build an online creative writing course on carbon that mirrors the work that she did during the in-person workshop.
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CAPTURING CARBON Date: 04.02.2023 – 14.05.2023 Partners: United States India Educational Foundation (USIEF) Location: Indian Institute of Science, Atta Galatta For 12 weeks, SGB along with Fulbright Nehru scholar Jay Barber hosted a cohort of young writers exploring the intersection of carbon and creative expression. These writers conceptualised graphite pencils, nanotubes, fire, the carbon cycle, the genesis of the elements, and other carbon-based ideas as fodder for their writing. The workshop saw the participation of science journalist Anil Anathaswamy, artist Sofy Yuditskaya, designer Ipsa Jain and author Shalinin Sreenivasan, who conducted guest lectures. In an effort to share the cohort’s creative works and to expand the public’s conceptual understanding of carbon, the cohort performed their poetry, nonfiction, fiction, and mixed media creations at Atta Galatta. Barber also worked with the SGB team to build an online creative writing course on carbon that mirrors the work that she did during the in-person workshop.
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Image: Participants at Capturing Carbon, 2023.
OPEN COURSEWARE Date: 06.03.2023 – Ongoing Partners: Economic and Social Research Council, UK Research and Innovation (ESRC - UKRI), Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), Transforming Education for Sustainable Futures (TESF), Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS) The freely accessible Science Gallery Bengaluru Courseware brings together resources from our exhibition-seasons to facilitate non-evaluative, open-ended, and interdisciplinary learning. The courseware reflects our commitment to public education, and expands the existing knowledge commons. In the run-up to CARBON, the first set of five modules on the Courseware website relate to climate change, and are based on the resources generated from the Summer School on Carbon. Each module consists of expert-led videos, documentaries, and reflective questions. The five modules are: Carbon in the Anthropocene The Biophysics of Carbon Carbon and Technology Carbon and Community Carbon and Art In addition to this, we have created an Instructor Manual that consists of activities which can be facilitated by educators, to make student learning experience more hands-on.
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MEDIATOR PROGRAMME Date: 01.06.2023 – 14.07.2024 During CARBON, the Mediator Programme was divided into full-time and part-time versions. Full-time mediators worked daily throughout the exhibition-season, while part-time mediators came in during the weekends. Science Gallery Bengaluru mediators are the public face of the gallery. Primarily, a mediator’s role is to converse with visitors about the exhibition and the topics explored in our themed seasons. Mediators are selected through an application process from our target age group of 18 to 28 years. Since they are often the first and only point of contact for visitors to the Gallery, mediators must be able to listen, provoke questions, tell stories, and drive visitor experiences throughout the exhibition season. Speaking to a mediator also provides the opportunity for each visitor to bring their personal insight and experiences into a conversation sparked by the exhibits, events, and programmes. Both versions of the programme started with a CARBON 101 training series, which introduced them to the fundamental chemical, social, and ecological implications of carbon.
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Image: A mediator shows The Nanocarbon Cocoon at CARBON, 2024.
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Deepen your understanding of the world of CARBON in our specially curated Media Lounge. This space invites you to browse, listen, and play your way through a selection of open-access books, podcasts, and games that critically engage with carbon—its elemental nature, its social and political entanglements, and its impact on our past, present, and possible futures. Our book collection spans genres and geographies, including non-fiction, graphic novels, speculative fiction, and manga. These works open up diverse perspectives on carbon: from the science behind climate change to stories of extraction, resistance, and transformation. Tune into podcasts that delve into the many lives of carbon—whether through stories of environmental activism, interviews with scientists and artists, or playful takes on topics like carbon dating and the carbon footprint. And for those who prefer to learn through play, our selection of games ranges from clicker and strategy games to immersive RPGs and platformers. Each game offers a unique way to explore systems thinking, resource extraction, environmental impact, and human agency in the carbon cycle. Drop in, explore, and discover how carbon connects us all—one page, episode, or level at a time.
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09 CLOSING EVENT
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Image: Jagriti Theatre performs “The Clearing: A Play Reading” at CARBON, 2024.
On 13th July 2024, Science Gallery Bengaluru hosted two programmes as part of the closing events for CARBON. The day began with Tracing Materials: From Resource to Waste to Art, a workshop led by artist Arunkumar HG, whose work In the Making of Self was featured in the exhibition. Participants delved into the lifecycle of materials, examining their origins, social histories, and transformations from resources to waste. The workshop encouraged creative expression as participants crafted art objects from collected waste, highlighting the inherent significance and stories of these materials. Later in the evening, The Clearing, a powerful performance by Jagriti Theatre, captivated audiences with its exploration of floral and human invasions. Set in the forests of South India, the play told the story of Lantana camara—one of the world’s most invasive plant species—while drawing parallels between ecological disruption and human displacement.
Arunkumar H.G conducts “Tracing Material: From Resource to Waste to Art” at CARBON, 2024.
On 14th July 2024, CARBON concluded with The Curtain Falls on CARBON, a reflective discussion and walkthrough led by curator Ravi Agarwal and historian Jahnavi Phalkey. The programme offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of CARBON, focusing on the art-science collaborations that brought the exhibition to life. They shared insights into the curatorial process, the interdisciplinary conversations that shaped the exhibition, and their experiences as researchers and curators. Following the discussion, attendees joined one final walkthrough of the exhibition, revisiting the themes and complexities of carbon in its many forms. CARBON 2024 / 267
10 CONTRIBUTORS
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Curatorial Advisor
Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent Dolly Kikon Victor Seow
T. S. Satyan Technology for Wildlife Foundation The Times of India Archives Tómas Saraceno Triggered by Motion Research Network Ursula Biemann
Artists and Contributors
Speakers
Ravi Agarwal
Academic Advisors
Aerocene Foundation Alexander Nikolsky Ana Laura Cantera Anaïs Tondeur Andrea Rassell Annelie Berner Arunkumar HG Carbon Aesthetics Group Chandrashekarappa Praveen Daniela Brill Estrada David Hochgatterer Dhiraj Kumar Nite Disnovation.org Edson Alberto Reyna Gurrola Gayatri Kodikal Himanshi Parmar Ishan Tankha Jan Świerkowski Jane Tingley Katharina Weikl Luis Contreras Manoj Deshwal Maria Joseph Marina Zurkow Mitter Bedi Nayan Chakraborty Nikki Buzzi NoPo Nanotechnologies Nuvedo Pillo Deshwal Prabhakar Pachpute Raqs Media Collective Ravi Agarwal Roddam Narasimha Belur Raghavan Rakshith Ronny Sen Shanthamani Muddaiah Shashi Thutupalli Stuart McMillen Suresh Madhusudan Deshpande Susan Eyre Svabhu Kohli
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Abhayraj Naik Amrita Neelakantan Anindya Rana Ankila Hiremath Arindam Ghosh B S Shylaja Devapriya Chattopadhyay Diemut Strebe Harini Nagendra Himanshu Arteev Jacob Martin Jayashree Ratnam K N Ganeshaiah Karthikeyan S Katharina Weikl Laleh Khalili M D Madhusudan Marianne Manuel Raghavendra Gadagkar Ramnath Chandrasekhar Rohit Chandra Ryan Jefferies Sarah Kenderdine Seshadri Ks Theertha Ravi Thomas Vattakaven
Workshop Facilitators
Filmmakers and Scholars
Ana Cantera Anais Tondeur Andrea Rassell Arunkumar Hg Benson Issac Dona Mathew Honey Islam Jacob Martin Jayant Hubli Julia Winter Kanike Studios Kate Coleman Navin Kushwah Nayantara Bagla Neeladri Chowdhury Nirupa Rao Outi Turpeinen Pravar Chaudhary Projectx Labs Ravi Agarwal Riikka Mäkikoskela Sangeetha Kadur Sarah Healy Sasha John Shravan Shankar Sibi Arasu Stefan Kaspar Swati Suman Uriel Orlow
Amal Zen Aniruddh Menon Arun Bhattarai Bharat Mirle Cy Gorman Francesca Romana Audretsch Frédéric Schuld Gabriela Osio Vanden Garima Bhatia Ignas Van Schaick Jack Weisman Jayasri Sridhar Jess Irish John Feldman Kalp Sanghvi Kartiki Gonsalves Klearjos Papanicolaou Mahay Alayón Marcel Barelli Mark Verkerk Matthew Denham Maxim Chakilev Nirupa Rao Nitin Bathla Oliver Ressler Paribartana Mohanty Raman Sukumar Rashmi Sawhney Ravi Chellam Samira Agnihotri Shaunak Sen Shishir Jha Sunanda Bhat Upamanyu Bhattacharyya Virgil Widrich
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11 TEAM 272 / SCIENCE GALLERY BENGALURU
Curatorial Team Ashank Chandapillai Gayatri Manu Jahnavi Phalkey Madhushree Kamak Ravi Agarwal Vasudha Malani
Media and Communications Ahalya Acharya Anupama KT Sankalp Singh Vikas Gotla
Exhibition Design and Production David Verghese Kriti Agarwal Pooja Das Choudhury Shaunaq Madan Shubhika Malara Shweta Jangir
Programmes and Mentorship Initiatives Devika P Shelwyn James S
Mediators Aadithya R Pade Akhilesh Pachnanda Anarghya S Anjali R Ankitha Sree Naidu Anoosha Chandrashekhar Anushka Tiwari Anushka Vijay Arbin Fathima Bindu BS Bhavitraa Thaligar Eeshaan S Reddy Harsha Jagadeesh J Divya Jagath V Jibin Varghese Lakshmi Praveena M Lekshmy R
Litralson E R Malvika Mishra Maria Ann Philip Nagakishan Nakshatra Bipin Suroshi Nanditha Gogate Nidhi Bhandari Pratik Tomar Puja Das Risha Vaidya Sama Arekal Sandhra Sajeevan Sanjana Hegde Satwik H S Sudeep Bhat Varsha V Vedika Kalra
CARBON 2024 / 273
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