LONDON.- arebyte Gallery announces Fragments of a Panorama, an exhibition by pioneering Indian transmedia artists Murthovic (Sri Rama Murthy) and Thiruda (Avinash Kumar). Fragments of a Panorama presents a kaleidoscope of worlds oscillating between a speculative future and an alternative past, combining spatial sound with immersive visuals consisting of 3D video games, AI art and motion captured dance, alongside an anthology of stories from India in 2079 AD. History, culture, science and society are playfully connected through the lens of emergent Indian electro-classical dance music – uniquely preserving Indian heritage through Murthovic and Thiruda’s compelling narrative, to transport us to Elsewhere in India.
©Murthovic and Thiruda
At the forefront of the electronic music and new media art scene for over two decades, Thiruda and Murthovic have shared a passion for pushing the boundaries of digital storytelling and cultural preservation, blending cutting-edge technology with traditional Indian aesthetics and narratives. Regarded as two of India's most innovative and influential contemporary artists, they have taken on the role of archivists, remixing, overlapping, imagining, speculating and fragmenting a millennia of cultural traditions, sonic and visual heritage, and classical dances of India, passed down generation after generation.
Fragments of a Panorama is the evolution of the artists’ Elsewhere in India collaboration, a transmedia electronica performance project about a world where global cultures are nearing extinction. In this exhibition, we follow a motley crew led by Meenakshi, a ‘cultural cyborg’ built to preserve Indian heritage and create harmony through Indian performative traditions.
©Murthovic and Thiruda
The exhibition features a panoramic video projection titled A Road in India (2079) which weaves in and out of past, present and future – and simultaneously in and out of the rest of the works in the gallery. Set in 2079 AD, when global cultures are near extinction, the film layers archival film of colonial India with AI-generated images.
World-building in this exhibition becomes a radical and subversive act of reclaiming the worlded space and worlded time. It challenges Eurocentric narratives through storytelling – via a mode that is spoken, danced, animated and rhythmed into being. In the age of algorithms, the intersection of colonialism and technology is particularly pronounced. Just as traditional colonial powers sought unilateral control over colonised peoples, digital colonialism operates through the manipulation of digital ecosystems and infrastructure by biased algorithms. Thiruda and Murthovic reclaim this language to devise prompts that imagine alternative realities of India.
©Murthovic and Thiruda
The first work we encounter upon entering the space is Telematic Transmissions, a film that digitally captures Bharatanatyam performances by two dancers in different geographies and time zones, united on a common virtual soil through motion capture. This technology preserves and archives the intricate nature of traditional dance practices, safeguarding these ancient art forms from being lost to time.
Central to the exhibition is a new commission, a post-cyberpunk sculptural instrument titled Veena: model no.12. Inspired by an ancient stringed instrument of the same name that is deeply rooted in Indian musical traditions, this indo-futuristic Veena features an elongated neck adorned with strings that span the length of its body, mirroring the linear structure of the spinal column. It plays the repository of music recorded and collected across their collaboration, remixed by Murthovic.
©Murthovic and Thiruda
Housed within an arcade cabinet is Antara, an interactive game comprising a scavenger hunt set on an island within Fortnite, scattered with 3D scanned objects from museums in both India and England. Each discovered artefact uncovers a piece of history, a story that brings the player closer to understanding the interconnectedness of the past and present, blending traditional heritage with futuristic gameplay.
And in a VR experience, audiences come to embody the protagonist of the entire narrative, Meenakshi, a cyborg archivist piecing together lost fragments of endangered dance, music, art, and architecture. In Meenakshi’s conservation workshop, participants use gestural mudras to interact with cultural artefacts, both physically and virtually. Through these interactions, audiences awaken Meenakshi’s memories and stories, breathing life into forgotten fragments.
The topology of Fragments of a Panorama is built on layers of destruction, construction, and reparation, connecting us to generations past and future. Through the malleability of space-time in virtual AI-rendered worlds, we as viewers in the space are constantly negotiating between history / futurism, inside / outside, fiction / reality, tangible / intangible, mind / body, tradition / innovation and virtual / mechanical, as we travel through the works. Perpetual change and transition between modes of expression and the different works in the gallery underpins Thiruda and Murthovic’s collaboration with classical musicians, dancers, game designers, with objects and stories of history – and most importantly, with technology and AI algorithms themselves.
arebyte advances new experimentation in digital cultures. Meeting the growing demand for immersive experiences and digital content creation, arebyte pioneers new forms of engagement with creative technologies, to critically explore the impact of technology in contemporary society.
From digital environments, online exhibitions to live performances, arebyte’s art programme spans VR, AR, motion capture, CGI, AI, blockchain technology, and draws 10,000 visitors per year to its gallery in East London, with a yearly online audience of 350,000 which is constantly growing.
arebyte is committed to further support London’s creatives by providing affordable workspaces in the capital city. In partnership with private landlords and Councils, arebyte strives to preserve a vibrant community of 330 artists, makers and designers in East and South London.
Thiruda
Avinash Kumar (aka Thiruda), the creative director of Antariksha Studio, builds video games for Indian heritage. As Thiruda, he explores Indian futures through AI in his internationally touring live performance project 'Elsewhere in India.' He has curated several Indian design and art festivals, residencies, and productions that have shaped interdisciplinary design communities in India.
Murthovic
Sri Rama Murthy (aka Murthovic) has been a sound practitioner and electronic music composer for over two decades. Murthovic is known for his work with Antariksha Studio for the acclaimed dance opera Antariksha Sanchar and other IPs. He is also the founder of the studio Nadabramha based in Hyderabad, India.
Kinnari Saraiya
Kinnari Saraiya is a London-based Indian artist, curator, researcher, writer and folk dancer. Her curatorial practice aligns with the trans-altern, post-humanist thinking of the Global South, creating intersectional structures and ecologies of interdependence. She currently works as Curator at Somerset House and has held curatorial roles at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and curated works at Frieze Art Fair and Bowes Museum.
ELSEWHERE IN INDIA
Elsewhere in India is a body of work that explores cultural heritage, digital technology, and speculative futures through film, interactive experiences, video games, and sculpture, created by artists Murthovic and Thiruda. Murthovic, the sound architect, blends traditional South Asian sounds with futuristic elements, creating immersive auditory landscapes that evoke nostalgia and anticipation. Thiruda, the creative director, integrates 3D video games, motion-captured dance, and AI-generated art, creating a cohesive, engaging experience. Their collaboration results in a rich, multi-layered narrative delving into India's past, present, and imagined futures, making Elsewhere in India a groundbreaking exploration of cultural preservation and innovation in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
