Subash Thebe Limbu

Ladhamba Tayem; Future Continuous

Ladhamba Tayem; Future Continuous ??????? ????? borrows its name from verbal inflection that specifies time of action or state, where tayem is future and ladhamba is continuous in our indigenous Yakthung (Limbu) language. In line with my current practice, Adivasi Futurism (as I call it), It imagines futures where Indigenous peoples’ actions and existence will still be in the space-time continuum. This work imagines a conversation between two indigenous people from very different timelines, one being a historical figure – a 18th century Yakthung warrior called Kangsore fighting the colonial army, and the other being an indigenous astronaut or time traveller from distant future. Converging two different timelines, it asks the viewer- people in between the timelines – to investigate their own role or potential role in the space-time continuum. The time traveller indicates what the future might look like for us or possibilities we want to strive for, while the warrior reminds us of the fight against colonialism and struggles we shall overcome.