Title: The Peacock That Refused to Forget – 2099

I wanted to reinterpret this 19th-century Indian Taūs (Mayuri Veena) as an instrument that has begun to remember.

Originally made to imitate the voice of the peacock and accompany devotional music, I imagined it in 2099 as something that no longer needs a musician. Soft luminous patterns now run through its traditional blue and gold body, and the peacock head carries a quiet inner light — as if the instrument has absorbed every raga ever played on it and occasionally plays them back when no one is touching it.

The piece explores the idea that musical instruments are not only tools for sound, but vessels of memory.

Original artwork — The Met: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/500709 FLORA project: https://app.flora.ai/chat/ns74f4npk235a3bn9agv33kh618dmx8k