Elsewhere in India

In a speculative Indo-futuristic world where global cultures teeter on the brink of extinction, electro-classical Indian music collides with surreal visuals created through a fusion of 3D video games, AI-generated art and motion-captured dance.  

Imagined by transmedia artists, Murthovic and Thiruda, Elsewhere in India: Return to Technopia is an immersive nightclub experience drawing on their extensive archive exploring cultural heritage, digital technology, and speculative futures, and featuring collaborations with some of Adelaide’s most exciting South Asian artists. 

Artist Statement: AI for Cultural Good 

As transmedia artists working at the intersection of heritage and speculative futures, our practice is a constant dialogue with technology. 

We recognise and share the critical concerns surrounding AI in art—issues of copyright, authenticity, bias, and the risk of hyper-capitalist tech platforms creating a "global monocultural machine" that erases the very subcultures we strive to celebrate. This is a real and present danger. 

However, our experience with past technological shifts, like social media, has taught us that Big Tech will advance regardless of critique. Therefore, we believe that critique from a distance is not enough. As creators from the Global South, we have a responsibility to act. Our approach is one of critical participation—to get our hands dirty, to challenge and repurpose these inevitable tools from within. We must engage deeply with these new technologies to inform meaningful, ethical, and interesting applications for our communities. 

Our work is an exploration of ‘AI for Cultural Good.’ We see AI not as a replacement for human creativity, but as a complex and powerful collaborator. It is a lens through which we can re-imagine our archives, a partner in generating worlds based on 'overlooked heritage', and a medium to speculate on hopeful, plural, and resilient futures for our society. Our ongoing enquiries with institutions like Dakshinachitra Museum in India, the British Film Institute in the UK and Art Gallery of New South Wales in Australia are central to this, where we use AI and game engines to interpret and remix cultural assets for new generations. 

Ultimately, "Elsewhere in India" is our platform for demonstrating that technology is not a monolith. By consciously embedding our work in an Indofuturist framework, we aim to steer these tools towards outcomes that serve local populations, celebrate pluralism, and restore hope in the evolution of our culture in the digital age. 

To learn more visit Elsewhere in India.