Fundamatics

Author: Queenbee

  • Art for Art’s Sake?

    Art for Art’s Sake?

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    Photo by Yannis Papanastasopoulos on Unsplash

    [/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]While art is a ubiquitous tool to express new ideas,  push social boundaries and register protest, there is a parallel view that art needs no justification, that it need serve no political or didactic purpose.  Art for art’s sake, a slogan translated from the French l’art pour l’art, which was coined in the early 19th century by the French philosopher Victor Cousin.  Taken from the French, the term “l’art pour l’art,” (Art for Art’s Sake) expresses the belief that art has an inherent value independent of its subject matter, or of any social, political, or ethical significance.  By contrast, art should be judged purely on its own terms: according to whether or not it is beautiful, capable of inducing ecstasy in the viewer through its formal qualities (its use of line, color, pattern, and so on).

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  • The Tribe of Hope Whisperers

    The Tribe of Hope Whisperers

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    Illustration by Nilapratim Sengupta

    [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]“Peace in the universe rests on the shoulders of the tellers of good tales, the tellers of tales that give hope. They are the hope whisperers.“[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The “Tribe of Hope Whisperers” grew from several roots but primarily from a beautifully recontextualized folklore (source of the above quote) by Sherline Pimenta, a Kathanika or professional teller of tales, that we published in our first issue of 2020. The phrase the “Tribe of Hope Whisperers” had such a lovely ring to it that we decided to put together an entire issue around the theme.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Now, after living a year when reality has often seemed stranger than fiction, an issue about “hope” cannot but embrace the whole of humanity. Hoping is, after all, an inherent part of being human. But how can one find hope amid uncertainty, conflict, or loss? How does one keep hope alive? To answer these questions, we set out on a quest that took us beyond the tribe of storytellers. The outcome is this issue in which hope takes many forms and voices, which we have divided into three themes.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Spreading Hope” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23dd9933″][vc_column_text]Representing our original vision for this issue, we have the tribe of “storytellers,” “artists,” and “doers” who spread the myriad colors of hope through their actions, words, and deeds. There are stories about storytellers, and stories about men and women whose innovations and initiatives have changed the world (or a small corner of it) for the better, in whatever fashion, to whatever degree.[/vc_column_text][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”-1″ initial_loading_animation=”none” grid_id=”vc_gid:1619068002417-88d1915c-144f-5″ taxonomies=”511″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Living with Hope” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23dd9933″][vc_column_text]We also hear the voices of those who live with hope for the situation to right itself; those caught between the ‘now’ and the ‘not yet’ who have been patiently holding up a candle to darkness. These are tales of sheer determination, tenacity and resilience.[/vc_column_text][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”-1″ initial_loading_animation=”none” grid_id=”vc_gid:1619068002418-414589a4-3dda-4″ taxonomies=”513″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]And, then we have stories of ordinary people finding hope and solace in the smallest things of life such as dandelions that push their way up toward the sunlight.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Finding Hope” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23dd9933″][vc_column_text]The dandelion that features in the cover illustration of this issue, in fact, beautifully embodies the elusive yet all-pervasiveness nature of hope — unnoticeable and gentle at first sight but with an amazing determination to self-propagate. Like a dandelion seed that sets sail on the back of winds in search of renewed life in unknown lands, we hope that you can ride on the back of this issue into a land of light and promise. And, reawaken, even if it is for a fleeting instant, the “instinct of hope” within you.[/vc_column_text][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”-1″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1619068002420-a7dc05df-c387-5″ taxonomies=”512″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]To end with a much-loved quote from Ruskin Bond: Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.  The same can be said about hope. This issue of Fundamatics is all about finding hope, living with hope, and spreading hope even in the bleakest of times when it is indeed most needed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Tomorrow will be beautiful.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Reimagining a post-COVID World

    Reimagining a post-COVID World

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    Cover Illustration by Rajat Patle

    [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The COVID 19 pandemic has been devastating, globally. Despite the development of new vaccines, many are still wondering what recovery could look like. Many are also pondering on how the pandemic has changed the world and the life lessons that it has taught us. The articles in this issue aim to help our readers assess the changes that have occurred in 2020 and give them a perspective of what could be expected over the next two to three years, what would change irrevocably and how can they adjust to it. As our Guest Editor for this issue, Chandru Chawla captures it beautifully in his Editorial “we are pretty much locked into a new paradigm for some time – a surreal digital life in the safety of a gated cocoon…” This edition has an extraordinary array of writers speaking on wide-ranging topics like effective delivery of justice, financial inclusion of the marginalized, existential issues of a social sector startup, transition to e-learning, mental health during a pandemic. Also, included is a liberal dose of art that captures the lighter side of the crisis.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Table of Contents” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23dd9933″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”14″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1627016497072-f8ef61ec-cd71-7″ taxonomies=”498″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Climate Change

    Climate Change

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    Illustration by Nilapratim Sengupta

    [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]”A healthy planet should not be a moonshot,” writes one of the authors of this Climate Change issue of Fundamatics. As a global pandemic continues to rock the world causing untold hardships to the human race, there is a greater challenge lurking behind the scenes. The Guest Editor of this issue Raghuram Murtugudde, succinctly points out in his Editorial piece, good health comes from consuming mindfully not just food, but also energy and water. Read a kaleidoscopic range of views on climate change – anecdotal, some scientific, and others discursive – that will drive home the realization that the threat of global warming no longer a far-off phenomenon. The set of articles in this issue not only discuss the various implications of climate change but focus on efforts to mitigate its impact on ecosystems and communities, and share guidelines to achieve a sustainable future.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Table of Contents” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23dd9933″][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”14″ gap=”0″ initial_loading_animation=”none” grid_id=”vc_gid:1612941877237-9fb77091-6600-1″ taxonomies=”495″ exclude=”10248″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Contents

    Contents

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    Illustration by Frits Ahlefeldt

    [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]”A healthy planet should not be a moonshot,” writes one of the authors of this Climate Change issue of Fundamatics. As a global pandemic continues to rock the world causing untold hardships to the human race, there is a greater challenge lurking behind the scenes. The Guest Editor of this issue Raghuram Murtugudde, succinctly points out in his Editorial piece, good health comes from consuming mindfully not just food, but also energy and water. Read a kaleidoscopic range of views on climate change – anecdotal, some scientific, and others discursive – that will drive home the realization that the threat of global warming no longer a far-off phenomenon. The set of articles in this issue not only discuss the various implications of climate change but focus on efforts to mitigate its impact on ecosystems and communities, and share guidelines to achieve a sustainable future.[/vc_column_text][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”14″ initial_loading_animation=”none” grid_id=”vc_gid:1605611685604-ce293ef7-5c98-1″ taxonomies=”495, 93″ exclude=”10248″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • For Children, By Children

    For Children, By Children

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This month we bring to you a “children-themed” issue of  Fundamatics. And, by children, we mean for children and mostly by children who are connected to IIT Bombay through their parents — alumni and faculty.

    We have a request for you, our readers. Do spare a few minutes from your busy schedules to read and acknowledge the work of these children who have poured their souls into this issue. Please encourage them by leaving your comments at the end of posts that you like and appreciate. It would mean the world to the young ones.

    This issue is our tribute to a demographic affected by the COVID pandemic, which has robbed them of green fields and the company of their peers. A few of us on the Editorial team were curious to find how these tiny tots, tweens and teens are coping with the new world order. We did not specify any theme and merely asked them to share a submission reflecting whatever is closest to their hearts.

    The cover illustration of the issue (displayed above) is by a 12-year old. A tiny tot illustrated her mother Sherline Pimenta’s (also the author of this issue’s Foreword) story. A group of children presented us with comic strips that hold up a mirror to society – Asterix & Obelix fighting COVID, two brothers saving the farmers’ crop from a swarm of locusts, and a protest against the ruthless treatment of animals – all available in the section titled “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall”. Another group came to us with amazing stories all captured in the section Thereby Hangs a Tale. Others shared mindboggling artwork (grouped together in the section “Brush Strokes”), each a masterpiece in itself. The star piece of the artwork section is The ABCs of Art by the incredibly talented Prof. Arun Inamdar — a perceptive cartoonist and caricaturist — who shares some words of wisdom for aspiring artists. The lead piece of the issue “Story of a Story” is, however, by Prof. Shilpa Ranade, an IDC faculty, who gives us a glimpse into her childhood, adroitly interweaving it with the story behind the making of the award-winning animation “Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya.”

    Is there anything for the “adult” alumni in this issue? Of course, there is. This is your chance to peek into the mind of the generation that will be taking over our planet in the next couple of decades. And, we can tell you this much — they will not disappoint you. Indeed, we have lots of hope for our future.

    We’re sure you will enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Happy reading and once again. Please don’t forget to comment and share through your social media.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Foreword by Sherline Pimenta” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fundamatics.net%2Fforeword-final%2F||target:%20_blank|”][vc_custom_heading text=”Sections in this Issue” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23dd0f0f”][vc_column_text]This time, we have had a wealth of submissions, and so have grouped the content thematically into the following four sections for your easy perusal.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”3″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1627017666225-c752d543-e23b-7″ taxonomies=”490″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1595824881756{background-color: #eaeaea !important;}”]

    We hope you have enjoyed reading Fundamatics, the award-winning ezine published by the IIT Bombay Alumni Association, envisioned as one that is by IIT Bombay alumni, faculty and students, and for the same vast community. And, the best part of Fundamatics is that it is completely free and can be accessed by thousands of our alumni who are spread all over the world. But this does not mean that we do not incur any operational costs in bringing the ezine to you. Your financial support can mean that we can continue to remain in circulation and “free” to you, our readers.

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  • This and That

    This and That

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  • Brush Strokes

    Brush Strokes

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”100px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”1″ element_width=”6″ initial_loading_animation=”none” grid_id=”vc_gid:1627018602281-8fffb15b-11f9-5″ taxonomies=”487″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8793″ img_size=”large” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” title=”Books Are Windows” link=”https://fundamatics.net/books-are-window/”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8774″ img_size=”medium” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://fundamatics.net/being-wise-is-knowing-what-to-look-at/” title=”Being Wise is Knowing What to Look At”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8787″ img_size=”large” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” title=”Sailing into the Wind” link=”https://fundamatics.net/sailing-into-the-wind/”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8766″ img_size=”medium” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://fundamatics.net/sunrise-in-an-unknown-mountain-valley/” title=”Sunrise in an Unknown Mountain Valley”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8780″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” title=”Sunrise Landscape” link=”https://fundamatics.net/sunrise-landscape/”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8962″ img_size=”medium” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” title=”Locked In and Locked Out” link=”https://fundamatics.net/?p=8960&preview=true”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”9051″ img_size=”large” onclick=”custom_link” title=”The Tiger and the Monkeys” link=”https://fundamatics.net/the-tiger-and-the-monkeys/”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8823″ img_size=”large” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” title=”The Cry of the Crow” link=”https://fundamatics.net/the-cry-of-the-crow/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8808″ img_size=”large” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” title=”Be a Player” link=”https://fundamatics.net/be-a-player/”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8944″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” title=”Beauty Lies in the Details” link=”https://fundamatics.net/beauty-lies-in-the-details/”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

    Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

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  • Thereby Hangs a Tale

    Thereby Hangs a Tale

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