Zubeni Lotha

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA under Productions will focus on the themes of self-representation and the photographic tradition in Nagaland, particularly in the context of its historical struggles and colonial legacies. By exploring how Naga people have represented themselves through photographs, the project hopes to subvert colonial and post-colonial stereotypes, offering a more complex and lived history of Nagaland. Zubeni Lotha is the coordinator for this project. 

Zubeni Lotha is a photographer from Nagaland, India, known for her work on Naga culture, identity, and representation. She has contributed to notable publications like Outlook Traveller, The Caravan, and the New York Times India blog. In 2019, Lotha participated in a conference on Photography and Digital Sharing at Cambridge University. She was part of the curatorial team for the Nagaland exhibition at the Humboldt Forum, Berlin, which opened in September 2022. Her work has been exhibited in various prominent galleries, universities, and institutions across India. Given her expertise, she is best placed to be the Project Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA. Amit Mahanti, a filmmaker and visual artist will be the collaborator in this project. 

The project begins with the artist duo exploring the colonial roots of photography in Nagaland, where early images were taken by British administrators and anthropologists in the 19th century. These photographs often emphasised "exotic" or "primitive" aspects of Naga culture, such as headhunting, which helped perpetuate stereotypes of the Naga people as violent and "primitive." The project hopes to critique these colonial representations and examine how they have shaped perceptions of the Naga community over time. Focusing on the period between 1970 to 1990 when conflict between the newly formed Indian State and the Naga people for autonomy was at its peak, the artists aim to collect personal photographs from family albums taken during this period, which often show everyday life—such as family gatherings, weddings, and travel—offering a counterpoint to the dominant narratives of violence and conflict.

The project will work with questions such as - Do personal photographs from family albums challenge and subvert the set narratives of the Nagas, the colonial and post-colonial narratives of representation that the people and place have been historically burdened with? What are the terms through which the idea of the self, community and place is constructed in these photographs? What are the memories and associations that the images evoke today? The personal photographs collected during the project will challenge stereotypes of the Naga people and present a more nuanced view of the Naga experience, with individuals asserting agency in how they wish to be represented.

The project will culminate in a traveling installation to be exhibited in former sites of conflict which will include photographs, video portraits, and filmed conversations with individuals who will share personal photographs. Additionally, the project will include a digital component featuring a virtual exhibition and a resource of annotated images and videos, offering both historical and contextual insights. Archival news articles from the 1970s onward will also be included to provide political context, enriching the personal narratives with a broader understanding of Nagaland’s history.

The outcome of this project will include a physical exhibition and a digital archive, contributing to broader discussions on self-representation and the portrayal of marginalised communities. The Project Coordinator's deliverables to IFA along with the final report will be documentation materials from the project, the travelling exhibition, and a digital resource.

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Arts Practice programme in the manner in which it intends to create a multifaceted installation that blends historical, personal, and political narratives. 

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm and document it through an Implementation Memorandum. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.

This project is made possible with support from Tata Trusts.