A recently published booklet, comprising abstract expressionist illustrations and simple language, communicates the case of climate crisis to its readers through unusual stories
Illustrations from the booklet. PICS COURTESY/PAKHI SEN
There's none among us who is unfamiliar with the threat of climate change. But is our awareness backed by the on-ground effects of climate crises? Do we have access to real-life narratives of people who witness and fight climate change on a regular basis? Probably not. Gijs Spoor, Pragnya Khanna, Pakhi Sen and Darren Dsouza came together to realise the booklet titled Grounded Imaginaries. It is an arresting visual into their intellectual inquiry and process documentation of some of the key concepts with regard to our environment.
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“Our pilot project focuses on storytelling and research on climate. The handbook happens to be a part of it. The project brings together youth fellows, cultural creatives and academics who helped us create outputs in forms of stories. The intention was to utilise the power of stories — together with communities who witness the growing crisis at their doorstep — and talk about the times we live in,” shares Khanna, co-creator of the Grounded Imaginaries project and booklet. She explains that the playful guide tells the world about their experiential journey.
Pragnya Khanna and Gijs Spoor
Designed by Goa-based Dsouza, and illustrated by Sen, the book casts a charm on its readers. It’s the compelling power of magic realism that stands out in the illustrations, we think. Dsouza shares that it was a delightful experience to work on the book as both Spoor and Khanna were meticulous in their research. “They gave us a lot of room to create things the way we wanted.” Sen agrees, explaining, “Often, you work with people who hand out a brief but are not aware of the possibilities of art or what they actually want. We did not face that with the creators as they were open to ideas and xplorations.”
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