Supported by KHOJ's three-year project 'Does The Blue Sky Lie?: Testimonies of Air’s Toxicities', partially funded by The Prince Claus Fund, Hues of Blue is an online intervention that encouraged teenagers across India to ponder the sky above them and become co-creators of a visual and textual tapestry exploring the shades, contexts and concerns related to the air and the environment.
This online intervention entailed virtual workshops and social media campaigns aimed at eliciting creative responses from adolescents, and introducing them to conceptual frameworks like the Air Quality Index, and equipping them with information in order to better understand the condition of the air they breathe and the skies they look up at. A total of six workshops were held, between June 2021 and March 2022, with 100+ participants from Delhi, Goa, Gurgaon, Kochi, Kolkata, Kottayam, Noida, Patiala and Siwan. During these workshops, participants were asked to take photographs of the sky and to reflect on their own sensory responses to what they saw. Then they were introduced to the concept of the AQI by Dr. Sarath Guttikunda, the Founder and Director of Urban Emissions, an independent organization that conducts research on air pollution. This framework presented an alternative view of the seemingly beautiful skies that the participants had photographed, and generated a new strain of creative responses and reflections on the need to protect the environment and improve air quality through individual and collective action. The project also centered on an Instagram page run by ThinkArts, where provocations were regularly posted. |
A compilation of these photographs and responses make up ThinkArts' exhibit at Khoj's 'Air Expo 2022', a public art intervention at the Select Citywalk Plaza in New Delhi from 21st to 29th April, 2022.
This exhibit, titled 'Adopt a Piece of Sky', encourages visitors to make pledges to play their part in reducing air toxicity levels.
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This online showcase comprises the provocations and prompts presented to and created by the workshop participants and social media followers, their varied responses in the form of texts and images, as well as a selection of photographs of the sky captured by them.
Click on the buttons below to explore.
Acknowledgments:
Consultant:
Dr. Sarath Guttikunda, Founder and Director of Urban Emissions
Participating organisations/schools:
Aga Khan Foundation, New Delhi,
Akshar, Kolkata,
Excelsior English School, Kottayam,
Future Hope, Kolkata,
Indus Valley World School, Kolkata,
Mahadevi Birla World Academy, Kolkata,
Modern Senior, Secondary School, Patiala,
Navy Children School, Goa,
Parivartan, Siwan,
Shiv Nadar School, Noida,
Slam Out Loud, New Delhi,
Sushila Birla Girls' School, Kolkata,
Tattwa Learning Centre, Ernakulam,
The Future Foundation school, Kolkata
ThinkArts:
Analina Sanyal, Ashmita Ghosh, Antara Dasgupta, Atul Wadhwani, Isha Lahiri, Parvathy Ramanathan, Proiti Seal Acharya, Ruchira Das, Rukmini Chakravarty, Sarasi Ganguly
Consultant:
Dr. Sarath Guttikunda, Founder and Director of Urban Emissions
Participating organisations/schools:
Aga Khan Foundation, New Delhi,
Akshar, Kolkata,
Excelsior English School, Kottayam,
Future Hope, Kolkata,
Indus Valley World School, Kolkata,
Mahadevi Birla World Academy, Kolkata,
Modern Senior, Secondary School, Patiala,
Navy Children School, Goa,
Parivartan, Siwan,
Shiv Nadar School, Noida,
Slam Out Loud, New Delhi,
Sushila Birla Girls' School, Kolkata,
Tattwa Learning Centre, Ernakulam,
The Future Foundation school, Kolkata
ThinkArts:
Analina Sanyal, Ashmita Ghosh, Antara Dasgupta, Atul Wadhwani, Isha Lahiri, Parvathy Ramanathan, Proiti Seal Acharya, Ruchira Das, Rukmini Chakravarty, Sarasi Ganguly