Language shapes our view of the world, and the way we conceptualise and comprehend ideas. Each language has its own unique body of knowledge that roots its speakers to a particular culture, and India is blessed with a linguistic diversity and spirit of multiculturalism that makes it one of most culturally rich and plural countries in the world.

There are 22 scheduled languages in India as per our Constitution, and after Papua New Guinea’s 840 languages, the second highest number of languages spoken in the world at 780 (according to the People’s Linguistic Survey of India).

The forms of this art installation depict the mellifluous movement and melding of the sounds of India’s numerous languages, all weaving and intertwining together to create the vibrant tapestry of our motherland with 780 metres of fabric and 22 pleated-folded panels. The artwork depicts the pages of the Constitution - with text meticulously inscribed in various Indian languages shared by the project architect and curator worked into the folds of the work. Floating above us like the fragrance of incense in air, it invites viewers to collectively look up and reflect on the guiding principles of the Constitution. The colours of this installation and its pleated forms are derived from the original drawings and paintings of the first Constitution document - created by Nandalal Bose and his team of artists from Shantiniketan. Above all, the installation invites everyone to inhabit space together, in mutual respect and veneration, each strand having its place, but together completing the artwork - widening our comprehension of all our differences, and understanding that the masterful art that makes India what it is - becomes incomplete if even one strand is removed from this composition. We congregate under the legacy and principles enshrined in our hallowed Constitution to come together as the proud people of India, walking together towards a prosperous and promising future.