The Giant Sampler

‘The Giant Sampler’ is a site specific facade commissioned for 2026 edition of India Art Fair as a part of ‘The Future is Born of Art Commission’ supported by BMW, India.

Drawing on the visual language of grid-based embroidery, the work imagines the fair facade as a sampler- where people (often women) learned, practiced, recorded, and passed on patterns and motifs.

The sampler incorporates over a hundred motifs from various embroidery traditions across the world, creating a narrative of history, symbolism and cultural significance.

Visitors experienced the facade come alive by scanning the facade with the accompanying AR app.

CREDITS

THE GIANT SAMPLER
Concept, research and design: Afrah Shafiq
Research and design assistance: Kalpesh Bhavsar
Additional design assistance: Sara Athar, Simar Gill, Riddhi Ningthoujam, and Madhusmita Nandan
Animation: Piyush Verma
Printing and technical support: Taranbir Singh Sawhney
App UX-UI design: Kalpesh Bhavsar
AR implementation and technical support: Trisha Chhabra
App development: Paxmah Infotech Pvt. Ltd. and Trisha Chhabra