The Utopian Palimpsest is a visual story of the 11th-century Walled City of Lahore – it is a tale transporting the audience through its rich past, deteriorating present, and an array of innovative possibilities for a utopian future. The Walled City has been destroyed, rebuilt, recreated, and revamped repeatedly to cater to its inhabitants. This project, too, aspires to add layers to this urban palimpsest.
A city drenched in complex socio-economic, religious and political issues, often fails to explore fantastical and unorthodox trajectories, reserved for more ‘progressive’ parts of the world. It is a story that sensitively weaves the existing traditional lifestyle of the people in the Walled City amidst magical, often dystopian, and bizarre scenarios. The Utopian Palimpsest re-imagines the ‘living’ cultural heritage that is deeply embedded in a strong sense of community. It aspires to tap into the utopian vistas offered by a city steeped in romanticism.
