ANUBHAVAM— A SPATIAL EXPERIENCE INSPIRED BY KERALA’S CULTURAL IDENTITY, MATERIALS, AESTHETICS AND TRADITIONS.
INDUSTRY
THEMATIC EXPERIENCE, SPACE DESIGN
TYPE
ACADEMIC PROJECT
DURATION
1 WEEKS, 2024
ROLE
EXPERIENCE DESIGNER
DESIGNED AN IMMERSIVE EXHIBITION EXPERIENCE CELEBRATING KERALA’S CULTURAL IDENTITY THROUGH SPATIAL DESIGN, INTERACTIVE INSTALLATIONS, HANDCRAFTED ELEMENTS, AND MULTI-SENSORY STORYTELLING. OUR TEAM CHOSE KERALA FOR ITS FAMILIAR CULTURAL REFERENCES, MAKING IT EASIER TO TRANSLATE ITS TRADITIONS, MATERIALS, AND AESTHETICS INTO THE SPACE. COMPLETED IN FIVE DAYS, THE PROJECT WAS A FAST-PACED EXPLORATION OF INDIAN CULTURE, CRAFT, AND SPATIAL EXPERIENCE.
THE CHALLENGE
TO DESIGN AN EXHIBITION THAT LETS VISITORS EXPERIENCE KERALA THROUGH ITS CULTURE, MATERIALS, AND TRADITIONS — NOT AS A COLLECTION OF ARTIFACTS, BUT AS SOMETHING THEY COULD SEE, FEEL, AND PARTICIPATE IN. THE PROJECT HAD THREE KEY CONSTRAINTS: [1] FIVE DAYS TO EXECUTE, [2] A FIXED FLOOR AREA, AND [3] A COLLEGE AUDIENCE WITH VARYING FAMILIARITY WITH SOUTH INDIAN CULTURE.
THE CORE DESIGN QUESTION BECAME,
HOW MIGHT WE TRANSFORM KERALA’S CULTURE FROM SOMETHING VISITORS READ ABOUT INTO SOMETHING THEY CAN EXPERIENCE?
RESEARCH & DISCOVERY
WE COMBINED SECONDARY RESEARCH WITH DISCUSSIONS WITH NATIVE KERALITE FRIENDS AND FACULTY TO GO BEYOND SUPERFICIAL AESTHETICS AND UNDERSTAND THE SENSORY REALITIES OF DAILY LIFE IN KERALA — WHAT PEOPLE SEE, SMELL, TASTE, TOUCH, AND ENGAGE WITH.
What would make them stay in the space vs. walk past it?
What prior associations did they have with Kerala?
What would feel authentic vs. performative?
KEY INSIGHTS
Most students associated Kerala with backwaters and Kathakali, two dominant, almost cliched images. The opportunity was to go deeper: to surface traditions like Tholpavakoothu (shadow puppetry) and the state-run lottery system that are lesser-known but deeply embedded in daily Keralite life.