Thukral & Tagra presented “Arboretum” at the Savannah College of Art & Design Museum of Art (SCAD MOA) last year. For its starting point, the Indian artist duo asked, “If a tree falls in the Metaverse, does it make a noise?” The query spurred visuals that continued their exploration of the boundaries between online and offline worlds. That focus initially began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when virtual mediums disrupted the relationship between people and the physical world.
In the exhibition, the artists—whose full names are Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra—imagined realism with glitches, encouraging us to experience the “real” as a glitch, and the “glitch” as real. Concurrently, a second presentation entitled “Arboretum 2” ran at Nature Morte in Mumbai, filled with more paintings from this body of work. Whitewall spoke with Delhi-based Thukral & Tagra about using trees as metaphors in their paintings to speak about information, curiosity, data, and companionship.
Exploring Time and Space
Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, courtesy of SCAD.
Installation view of “Arboretum” at the Savannah College of Art & Design Museum of Art (SCAD MOA), courtesy of SCAD.
WHITEWALL: Your introspection into the community of trees began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Why?
THUKRAL & TAGRA: We had to reorient our perceptions of time and space. Nature became both the respite and the site of wonderful contemplation. While returning to a renewed sense of normalcy, our relationship with the arboretum has gone through ebbs and flows—ones that mapped our journey through seasons where we started seeing trees as living archives of cultural and political winds.
“Our relationship with the arboretum has gone through ebbs and flows…”
—Thukral & Tagra
WW: How did the work in “Arboretum” contemplate the intersection of the digital and natural worlds and aim to provide an answer?
T&T: Every tree holds information in itself. We are curious to imagine what this data looks like. What form can it take? What scale can we imagine it to be? And what happens to it in the temporality of a painting? Despite being present everywhere, trees remain invisible to our eyes. We are increasingly aware that forests are not just a collection of trees but a community that is intelligent and harmonious. It is funny that this realization about the immense capacity of our fellow companions on Earth happened in the age of artificial intelligence.
Is it fair to project human understanding of systems and relationships to decode trees? Perhaps this perception is due to the environmental doom, political turmoil, and virtualized lives from which we need a respite. The trees are what we perceive them to be—kind, thoughtful, and flourishing—a pathway for our aspirations. Can we be the trees that we would like to see? Maybe that could change the narrative course of the arboretum and the world.
A Series Sparked by Isolation
Installation view of Tukral & Tagra’s exhibition “Arboretum” at the Savannah College of Art & Design Museum of Art (SCAD MOA), courtesy of SCAD.
WW: This series was sparked by isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. What about that time made you search for answers to this question?
T&T: The arboretum has become a purpose—a space for cultivating knowledge, growing ideas, and excavating mythologies. Each pixel is like a leaf, and each leaf is like a pixel, forming a digital forest of connections. This ongoing process keeps us engaged, gathering images and delving into the symbolism and history of trees.
When we paint a painting of a tree, the memory of trees deepens our bond with them. Each work is a commitment, much like any meaningful relationship—it requires time, care, and love. If the studio is our greenhouse, nurturing these ideas, then the painting becomes the tree itself, and the gallery space turns into an arboretum where visitors can come to study, reflect, and hear the echoes of trees.
“Each work is a commitment…”
—Thukral & Tagra
WW: How are you thinking about the subsequent escalation of virtual mediation between people and their physical world?
T&T: The time individuals spend online has increased significantly, largely due to the pandemic. As a result, people are now more inclined toward digital intimacy rather than engaging in physical spaces. In this post-truth era, where AI serves as an intermediary—even responding to emails—how do we make sense of the present and shape the future?
Creating Artwork by Pixel and Hand
Installation view of “Arboretum” at the Savannah College of Art & Design Museum of Art (SCAD MOA), courtesy of SCAD.
WW: You amassed a collection of digital images of flora in your immediate environment and used select photos as the basis for hyper-realistic paintings on shaped canvases. Tell us about the resulting works, which resist the instant gratification of digital technology and instead favor hands-on, labor-intensive techniques.
T&T: Time spent on each work is precious, and we are deeply aware of every moment invested—an approach that stands in direct opposition to technology’s relentless drive for speed. It’s a process of moving against the current, a quiet resistance, or a softer form of protest, allowing us to truly understand and measure the value of time and labor.
Yet, it is also an emotional practice. Our relationship with the image and the commitment to building a piece over weeks is something that can happen only once in a lifetime. With each breath, we paint each leaf.
“With each breath, we paint each leaf.”
—Thukral & Tagra
WW: How do you feel this reminds us of the inescapable intervention of data and algorithms that inform our daily choices and the ways we see and interpret the world?
T&T: The mimesis focuses on this: how our daily online conversations and time spent are constantly being harvested. The more we engage, the more data is collected. This ongoing process forces us to question who controls our data and what it ultimately looks like. Who gets to visualize these gigabytes, and how does one even begin to imagine them? As we navigate this landscape, we delve deeper into the data pyramid and the hierarchies that entrap us.
Artworks That Fosters Connection
Installation view of Tukral & Tagra’s exhibition “Arboretum” at the Savannah College of Art & Design Museum of Art (SCAD MOA), courtesy of SCAD.
WW: How does this body of work, and its messaging, connect with your larger practice?
T&T: Our goal has always been to create—not just artworks, but institutions that embody fresh ideas and foster practices rooted in care and inclusion. Through these methods, we not only acknowledge existing norms but also build new formats for public engagement. These evolving practices serve as a way to archive ideas that mark the passage of time, creating spaces that reflect our collective values and growth.
WW: Your work often blends traditional Indian narratives with contemporary themes. How do you decide which cultural elements to incorporate? What motivates this juxtaposition?
T&T: We don’t see this as a strategy but as part of a larger composition that takes shape over time. Our work is grounded in research and conversations—it’s never created overnight. This slow-brewing process reflects our relationship with the world, with the hope that our work mirrors our thinking and continuously builds knowledge over time.
Installation view of “Arboretum” at the Savannah College of Art & Design Museum of Art (SCAD MOA), courtesy of SCAD.
“Our work is grounded in research and conversations—it’s never created overnight.”
—Thukral & Tagra
WW: Your work spans painting, sculpture, installation, and virtual spaces. How do you navigate between these mediums? What influences your choice of format for a particular project?
T&T: Each project brings its own challenges, and rather than simply embracing limitations, we push against them. We explore the values behind our choices—why we pursue one direction over another. It’s a methodological approach where learning is key, ensuring we evolve rather than repeat ourselves.
WW: How do you manage creative differences and meet on a unified vision for your projects as a duo?
T&T: We’re both eager to dive into ideas, seeing and visualizing each one. However, it’s essential to address key issues and concerns before beginning the work. A sketch helps, and by now, we’re well attuned to each other’s preferences. We’ve also built a system where our individual areas of interest allow us to develop the work organically over time.
Creating From Self-Care
Installation view of “Arboretum” at the Savannah College of Art & Design Museum of Art (SCAD MOA), courtesy of SCAD.
WW: Your art often invites participation or introspection. What kind of experience do you hope audiences take away from engaging with your work?
T&T: One of the most valuable aspects of creating a project is care—beginning with self-care and extending to the care invested in building the work itself. It also encompasses the ethical responsibility toward those involved in the process and, ultimately, the impact the work has on its audience.
At Multiplay, we experimented with these values and systems, operating within a sandbox format for an exhibition. Over 30 artists created spaces for people to engage with, and, as curators collaborating with these brilliant minds, we sought to challenge conventional notions of exhibition and viewing—inviting audiences to become co-creators in the works themselves.
“One of the most valuable aspects of creating a project is care…”
—Thukral & Tagra
WW: Can you tell us a bit about your studio? What’s it like working there?
T&T: It’s an ongoing process of creating and testing new ideas, with works evolving over time. We revisit subjects, circling back to make sense of the new in relation to the old. While the continuous push to learn and engage with curatorial aspects is valuable, it always leads us back to what we truly love—making images and composing them.
