Discover Indigo’s Revival at Hampi Art Labs’ ‘Blue Futures’ Exhibit

A vibrant exhibition titled Blue Futures: Reimagining Indigo is currently captivating visitors at Hampi Art Labs in Karnataka, India. Central to this showcase is a large vat of indigo, described by curator and director Meera Curam as the exhibition’s “beating heart.” This vat, established in October 2022, is a living entity cultivated with healthy microbes, including bacteria and fungi, combined with indigo powder, henna leaves, jaggery, limestone, and water. Curam emphasizes the importance of a functioning vat, stating, “You can tell if a vat is alive simply by its smell and taste.”

Curam’s vision for the exhibition extends beyond mere textile display. While many associate indigo strictly with cloth dyeing, she aims to explore its broader creative potential. Her curatorial note asserts that the exhibition presents indigo as a “living archive of gestures,” showcasing its evolution through resist-dyed, painted, and printed textiles from regions including Japan, Africa, and India. These pieces are complemented by experimental works that highlight indigo’s versatility across art, craft, design, and fashion.

Innovative Works and Collaborations

As visitors navigate the exhibition, they encounter a diverse array of indigo-infused art. Notably, the work of multidisciplinary artist Aboubakar Fofana and the Shibori tapestries from the Japanese studio Slow Fabric stand out. Additionally, garments from Bappaditya Biswas’ 2024 collection, New Horizons: Weftscapes, and Manish Nai’s 2018 installation, which critiques fast fashion through compressed natural indigo, further enrich the experience.

Curam has also commissioned a striking piece from Ajit Kumar Das, featuring a 48×48-inch Kalamkari work painted with natural indigo pigments. Other notable contributions include stoneware sculptures from ceramic artist Upendra Ram and Vyom Mehta’s installation made from indigo-anodized aluminium wires, both loaned from the Indigo Art Museum in Ahmedabad. Curam’s outreach to artists via social media proved fruitful, with many eager to participate. “You won’t believe it, but I contacted Aboubakar and even the museum’s creative director on Instagram. Everybody responded,” she shares with a laugh.

Collaboration with the Indigo Art Museum has been seamless. Kavin Mehta, the museum’s creative director, expressed excitement about the exhibition, stating that it showcases indigo’s significance on a larger scale. With a decade of experience in working with indigo, Mehta appreciates the historical context of the dye, once known as “blue gold,” due to its high value in ancient economies.

The Cultural Significance of Indigo

The allure of indigo lies in its uniqueness as the only natural blue dye. Curam describes the vat’s liquid as green until it is exposed to oxygen, transforming into blue. Mehta adds, “There’s a certain depth to the colour that’s hard to put into words.” This fascination with indigo spans over 6,000 years across civilizations, which explains its deep-rooted cultural significance.

Despite the rise of synthetic indigo in the past century, there remains a dedicated community of artisans and designers committed to preserving traditional practices. Curam notes a resurgence of interest among younger practitioners in countries like India and Japan. “I know fourth- and sixth-generation artisans and farmers in Tamil Nadu who are continuing these traditions,” she states. Recent workshops, such as one led by the Japanese indigo farming label BUAISOU, have brought together artisans and enthusiasts, fostering knowledge-sharing and collaboration.

The exhibition closes towards the end of January 2024, but Curam hopes to extend its reach to other locations. She is committed to maintaining the living vat, which can sustain itself for 10 to 12 years. “I want to transfer my knowledge of dyeing to a small team of women who work with me. This is why I want to keep that vat alive as a continuation of this whole exhibition,” she concludes.

Through exhibitions like Blue Futures, the timeless magic of indigo continues to thrive, inviting a new generation to appreciate its beauty and cultural significance.