Small-Scale Societies II: 'Archaeology' of 'Death'

On 23rd November 2023, we traced cultures of entombment across various archaeological sites in the UAE through a session that chronicled the filmmaker's research experience. His reflections explored multiple spatial and temporal manifestations and form part of a work-in-progress video art project. These reflections were also part of a work-in-progress for the production of a video art project, that intended to capture visual and sonic impressions of the various tangible and intangible elements of a landscape spanning vast geological, historical temporalities.

The presentation was followed by a dialogue with Prof. George Jose, scholar and Visiting Associate Professor of Anthropology at NYU Abu Dhabi.



About the Resident

Vipin Vijay, multiple award-winning filmmaker and film academic is an alumnus of Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata. He has been engaged in his search for new cinematic forms since 2000 working in the domain of creative documentary, film essay, fiction feature film and video art. Apart from widely shown in film festivals across the world, like Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary, Oberhausen, São Paulo, Nantes, Montreal, Japan, Vladivostok , his works have also been exhibited in art museums like the Serpentine Gallery, London and the Ullens Centre for Contemporary art (UGCA) Beijing.The prestigious Oberhausen International Film Festival, Germany 2015 honoured him with a specially curated retrospective of his works. He was the ‘Film Maker in Focus’ at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, in 2017.

About the Moderator

George Jose has held research, teaching, and leadership positions in the academia and not-for-profit sectors. In his role as Dean of the Jyoti Dalal School of Liberal Arts (JDSoLA), NMIMS University, Mumbai, Dr Jose provided academic leadership to the School and facilitated the realization of the School’s vision. He led JDSoLA’s strategic planning and curriculum development and specified educational objectives. George was the inaugural Program Director for Asia Society India; Program Officer with India Foundation for the Arts (IFA), Bengaluru; and was a Research Fellow at Forum Transregionale Studien, Berlin. George is interested in the multiple ways in which the contemporary city is imagined, produced and consumed in its margins, by its marginalized citizens.