Exhibit Design for a story from the Grimm's Fairytales.
The project started with picking one story and scrutinising it on multiple levels.
I chose the story 'Rapunzel' as the themes of isolation and chastity were interesting and the story had grey characters.
As a content understanding exercise, a panel was creating to analyse the story through one character.This panel was about the duality of the character 'Mother Gothel' and was intended for size A0. It uses the timeline of the story to plot the character under multiple sub-headings.
A tableau was used as another tool to further assess the content.
The tableau I made contemplated a possible resolution to the character of Gothel, something which is not addressed in the original story. It brings about the drama of the irony that is created by Gothel's banishment of Rapunzel from the tower, which eventually isolates her. The tableau derives from the juxtaposition of the imagery of the hand that locked Rapunzel in, holding the scissors that set her free.
The model was made using a thermocol structure covered with putty.
Details like vines, bushes, trees and grass were added and the entire model was spray painted black to show abandonment and desolation.
The golden white hair and the pale hand provided contrast and symbolised innocence.
Finally, I chose to work with the idea of Rapunzel being a woman who was confined to keep her safe and her objectification, something that resonated with me as an Indian girl.
I created a Barbie Box Photo Booth, drawing on the connotations of Barbie being a packaged toy used for fun or pleasure.The box looked bright and inviting to appeal to the nostalgia of the visitors.
The text was used to engage the visitors, tell the story and bring out the disturbing, lesser known aspects of it using a sarcastic tone.
A visual language was created, inspired by the format of the original book of Grimm Fairytales with illustrations by Walter Crane.
Elements inside the box were structured and arranged such that they heightened the sense of suffocation inside the box.Some elements were changed slightly to make the experience disturbing. For eg.-a broken mirror, twin dolls inside a 'surprise gift.'
The box was created such that once a person was shut in, they could only be freed from someone outside.
The evolution of fairy tales through the years has been dramatic and the female protagonist has undoubtedly found a sturdy place in popular culture but I wonder how far we have really come. My project aimed to question gender roles in present society by providing a juxtaposition of time through the text, yet placing them in a very recognisable modern imagery.
Displayed at the Lines of Inquiry Annual Design Show for 2020 at National Design Institute, Ahmedabad.
