indianama
Indianama 2019 reimagined the defining moments from India’s past: what if they’d happened a different way than we know, or not at all? The result was an almanac of 52 different ‘rifts’ in history by 52 artists, each being a key event from India’s past that didn’t happen exactly how we remember it.
I reimagined how North American history would have taken a different turn if in the year 261 BC, Asoka’s Empire had expended to Central Asia, Middle East and nearly half of Europe.
Year 261 BC: Asoka’s Empire Expands To Central Asia, The Middle East And Nearly Half Of Europe.
Asoka’s conquests overpower the Romans before they can establish their empire. Hence, the Maurya Empire becomes the model for Western civilizations. Indo-Aryan influences in culture, language and architecture extend across the conquered regions that eventually permeate to America. Instead of the current neoclassical United States Capitol, the poster reimagines an alternate reality where the structure is derived from Mauryan architecture. The stupa-like dome is crowned by a sculpture of four eagles – Lion Capital of Asoka. The Brahmi script forms the basis for English, in lieu of Latin, visualized in the background through the American slogan “In God We Trust”. The project serves as a reminder that history is not a one-dimensional science; rather a result of multiple intersecting factors that are only understood in retrospect.