What object would you like archaeologists 1000 years from now to remember our present day culture by? When Google Arts and Culture launched their first lab experiment in India, they invited people, visiting the ‘India and the World: A History in Nine Stories,’ exhibition at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) museum in Mumbai to respond to this question and by doing so their responses contributed to the design of a growing collection of vases, representing the objects that matter the most to people today. We engaged thousands of people, sharing their object in diverse voices – be it Hindi, Marathi or English.
Emerging Objects then reimagined the virtual vessels as a contemporary 21st century objects that referenced historic Indian ceramics from the exhibition, and included on them, masquerading as ornament, the most popular words from the exhibition, with two languages included on each vessel. After they were printed using local clay from Mumbai, they were glazed by one of India’s leading master craftsman of ceramics and Padma Shri awardee Shri Brahmdeo Ram Pandit.
Ranging from daily-use objects to uncommon tidings, the ten most popular keywords now 3D printed on ceramic vases, to be preserved as Future Relics are Mobile, Car, Computer, Books, Can, Utensils, Spectacles, Plastic, Gold, and Soil, and personify the concept of shared artifacts.
The work of Emerging Objects often connects past with present, while looking to the future. For centuries pots have helped us uncover the lost stories of cities and civilizations. Future Relics highlights this heritage, responding directly to India and the World’s exploration of pots as storytelling objects to create a series of artefacts for future generations that reveal insight into our lives today. This unique collaboration of art and technology has drawn upon both technological innovation and a highest form of traditional craftsmanship.
The final vessels have been included into the permanent collection of the CSMVS museum in Mumbai, marks a special collaboration, and we hope this series of Future Relics will act as a time capsule for future generations to uncover.
Project Date: 2018
Location: Mumbai, India
Project Team: Ronald Rael, Virginia San Fratello, Mattias Rael, Shri Brahmdeo Ram Pandit, Logman Arja, Sandy Curth.
Project Information: Special thanks to the family of Shri Brahmdeo Ram Pandit for their creativity and support of this project, Google Arts and Culture Lab: Bryan Allen, Hannah Andrews, Aruna Rao, and Freya Murray; and to all the staff of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum in Mumbai with special acknowledgment of Neeha Veera.