Festival of Ideas

Pause - Unplug – Play 

Artist: Shradha Jain 
Participants: Adya Girdhar / Akanksha B / Amisha Rhishikesh Thakre / Anahita Uppal / Anika Venkatraman / Anindani Rawat / Ankita Dey / Dhuttargi Aarya / Gugale Sharvani Anand / Kairvee Rastogi / Krishnakanth B Chennakery / Mehak Nilesh Shah / Nivedita Salil Desai / Samant Aarya Prashant / Sanjana Venkat / Sneha Jaybalan / Talashilkar Navya / Tanisha Sumeet Ambegaokar / Thotli Jayaditya / Vedant Srinivas

This project aims to create social, physical and mental recharge spaces on the new Manipal Bengaluru campus. Hotspots will be created in transit areas with playful furniture, objects and giant self-explanatory games connected to the multi-hued cultural landscape of the campus. Aspiring design practitioners from various disciplines will research play practices and create a database/knowledge bank that will be explored through site-specific installations. These design interventions will encourage taking a pause in our digitally-guided lives, and aim to promote social connections through quick mini power-up sessions. The project will be hands-on, requiring participation both mentally and physically, with ideas developed through quick one-day collaborative sessions.

Artist Bio:  Shradha Jain is a designer and educator, interested in building a community through analogue board games, creating inclusive spaces to discuss the benefits of play and making it accessible for all. She also has interests in tablet weaving, visiting museums and travelling to mountains. She is the founder of Studio Clock.