Abstract of the accomplished photographic work
This year, Earth has surpassed the critical 1.5°C rise in global temperature above pre-industrial levels, a threshold with catastrophic consequences. TERRA MUTATA focuses on the Bengal Delta, a climate change ground zero, to examine the fragile existence of lands consumed by rising waters. At night, the region’s precariousness is stark, as communities live in a state of “catastrophisation,” perpetually on the brink of collapse.
Using full-spectrum and infrared photography with innovative DIY techniques, the project captures long-exposure images. Infrared, often employed in conflict zones, here depicts the Delta as a climate battleground, presenting a haunting visual narrative.
Blending dystopian imagery with poetic resonance, TERRA MUTATA examines the architectures of ruin amidst these desolate landscapes. Depicting the spectral glow of destroyed villages and ghostly human presences, this project paints an urgent and vivid picture of a world grappling with environmental collapse.
Description of the project you intend to pursue through the Prize
‘Courting India’ is an ambitious pan-India visual research project examinig historic centers of power from the Sultanate, Mughal, and pre-British Raj eras. By tracing their transition to the present, it examines the transformation of imperial ruins—forts, monuments, tombs, and cemeteries. While some are preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India, many have succumbed to relentless urbanization or decay, now housing local communities who repurpose these historical spaces.
From architectural and humanistic perspectives, the project explores the dynamic interplay between heritage, landscape, urbanization, and community life. In today’s socio-political climate in India, with Hindu majoritarian forces threatening relics of Islamic eras,’Courting India’ seeks to preserve these historical traces as a palimpsest amidst change.
Nighttime long-exposure photography will reflect the concept of twilight of empires,culminating in a 60-image photo-book printed on a 6-channel offset press.