Welcome
I am Micah Alex, a multifaceted Researcher, Designer, and Artist, driven by the pursuit of crafting alternatives rooted in grounded narratives.
Through pieces like Techno-futures from Bidar, I collaboratively reflected on the potential of technology to catalyze and nurture spaces of cultural collaboration, while acknowledging its limitations. Projects like South Asian Digital History Repository and Establishing a Community Network were my efforts toward building collaborative platforms and networks aimed at democratizing knowledge and resources. Making The Invisible Visible Around An RO Plant delves into community-centric tech approaches and the exploration of indigenous knowledge systems. Designing platforms like Milli and Papad, helped me traverse different open source paradigms towards democratizing access to information and archives. They were also experiences in community-centric technological interventions and participatory design practices.
From projects like Papad, an open-source Audio Annotation and Archival Tool, designed to be used by community-based practitioners, to my involvement as a Research Associate at the Climate Resource Center where I interviewed agricultural experts, farmers, and folklore artists, my work follows paths of grassroots-level engagement and technological empowerment.
In Speculative Storytelling in Wayanad and Care-full Collectives and their Care Practices, I explore the power of narratives in envisioning alternate futures and promoting care-driven practices. Narrative projects like Antarsam - Exploring Alternate Histories and Futures were a result of my speculative exploration into alternate histories and potential futures, rooted in ecological systems, cultural contexts, and linguistic roots.
From exploring the impact of caste-based power structures in projects like Caste and Education Geospatially in Rural Bihar, I engage in participatory approaches to historical inquiry. My explorations into topics like The Disenfranchisement of Paniyas in Kerala reflect my journey of self-discovery and learning through immersive experiences and ethnographic research. The Lived Experience Archives for Champions of the Disability Sector was especially helpful in learning the importance of archiving marginalized voices and experiences for the empowerment of communities.
While teaching classes like Seeing, Being, Doing: small-letter ‘d’ design - 4 Month design studio, I was able to reflect on gradual, iterative progress and continuous learning in my endeavors.