Political Pandora

Art is a way we can realise our imagination, feel its potential and piece it into a form of hope. Upon entering the Edinburgh Palestine Museum, one is not first encountered by images of ruin, but by Anani’s grand canvas of rolling hills, lush green trees, and floral meadows. Where one enters expecting violence, Anani’s painting embraces us in its haven and pokes at our presumptions: Why is it that people expect only darkness when they hear of Palestine? 

The ambience of Spain’s bustling streets, usually filled with vibrant music, laughter and warmth, now echoes the discordant sounds of protesters and perplexing scenes of water pistols being aimed at tourists as their idyllic vacations to the country turn into waking nightmares for both them and the Spanish locals protesting their influx.

The function of spoken language extends far beyond mere communication—it is an indicator of one’s identity, an instrument of access, and, mostly, a mechanism of establishing authority in a social setting. Our language, accent, dialect, and even grammar influences favourably, and adversely the type of opportunities made available to us, society’s perception of us and our sense of belonging. 

Often, it is the books chosen on a whim that linger with you the longest. That was my experience with Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors. It was the bittersweet and painful portrayal of modern, aspirational life that refused to let me leave it unfinished. 

A critical examination of the integrity of the colour film production proves necessary to uncover the racism embedded in the process of this technology and the cultural use of cameras to reinforce racial hierarchies.

Both Amazon and the judicial system of South Africa have acted as neocolonial powers, employing colonial tactics to further dispossess the Khoisan people. In this case, Amazon as neocolonial infrastructure is supported by the divide and conquer strategy and by the South African post-apartheid legislature and judiciary, which ensures the systemic erasure of the Khoisan people.

The crafts that once connected us and the earth have faded from view and taken with them fundamental relationships. A political enquiry into these media allows us to take craft seriously, as a tool to imagine and shape more cooperative, sustainable and liberating ways of life. This has never been more necessary than amidst our epoch of rapid accumulation, consumption and disconnection.

In a world where innovation is the default setting and creativity is currency, artists are voluntarily opting for non-conventional ways of displaying art—digital exhibitions, interactive spaces, self-publishing, Instagram galleries, etc. With this shift towards breaking out of traditional institutions rather than breaking in, creators seem to be finding solace in the autonomy that non-traditional institutions introduce, and the question of where art belongs has never been mor

Modern work leaves many overworked and unfulfilled, trapped in cycles of productivity without purpose. This essay explores how alienation shapes our jobs today—and how rethinking work through care, creativity, and community can offer a more meaningful alternative.

Every Sunday, I retreat to my terrace, where time softens and the world slows. Among the trees, I unlearn the urgency capitalism demands and remember what it means to simply exist. Inspired by Sumana Roy’s concept of ‘Tree Time,’ this piece reflects on stillness as a radical act—an invitation to resist the ticking clock and embrace a gentler, cyclical rhythm of life, where being, not doing, is enough.

Feminism, long before the first wave, manifested itself in the small village roads on the banks of the river Chenab. These manifestations continue to resonate through Punjab’s tradition of storytelling, termed Qissas, meaning ‘stories’.

Are you a ‘trad wife’, ‘sapphic’, or ‘enby’? As in gameplay, social media has the liberatory effect of being an open realm of possibilities.

One needs to explore how the discourse around “saving” Muslim women, in particular, often comes from a colonial, culturally superior gaze that strips them of their agency. Instead, by using the distinct lens of radical films like Joyland and Seed of the Sacred Fig, we see how gender, sexuality, artistic expression and resistance take shape in very specific cultural and political realities.

Third spaces can very organically turn into civic spaces, as civic spaces are the environments that “enable civil society to play a role in the political, economic, and social well-being of our societies, particularly by contributing to policy-making that affects their lives”, according to the OHCHR. The nature of third spaces encourages free-flowing discussion, including that of politics, making them de facto civic spaces. 

Los Colonos has garnered praise for its unflinching portrayal of the Selk’nam genocide and its attempt to reframe narratives.

Following the success of Warner Bros.' critically acclaimed and box office hit Joker, the much-anticipated sequel Joker: Folie à Deux was ex

As melting ice caps and rising seas are unsealing these nuclear tombs, with the cumulative effects of seeping radiation reaching far and wid

Pre-loved books, Kindle, or fresh paperbacks? From sustainability to ethics, what’s the most responsible way to read?

This piece was originally published in the November 2024 issue  of Pandora Curated. In the aftermath of the devastating four-year Khmer...

To understand the depth of SOPHIE's loss, one must look back at her extraordinary life and career as a groundbreaking pop innovator.