About us
Bihar Visual Archive began as an Instagram page by Akash Bharadwaj as part of his PhD project in 2021. It was born from a desire to engage with the region’s overlooked histories and everyday visual cultures. Over the past four years, it has grown into a collaborative social lab - a network of artists, designers, researchers, and public professionals committed to exploring the region's past and present in new ways.
We have collected and catalogued over 200 books related to the politics, culture, histories, and heritage of Bihar, in Hindi, English, Maithili, and Bhojpuri. In addition to this, we have also been compiling a catalogue of over 1,500 images and about 200 videos, drawn from both primary and secondary sources, covering everyday life, architecture, memory, material culture and politics of the region.
Our work is grounded in archival thinking and material memory that help us explore and interpret the histories of Bihar and its layered connections with other parts of the world. Through visual storytelling, community-based research, and creative collaborations, we reimagine the archive as a space for dialogue, imagination, and cultural preservation.
Our Projects
Bihar Elections' Archive
This project aims to develop a user-friendly mobile application that enhances productivity and organization. Through intuitive design and seamless functionality, users can efficiently manage tasks, set reminders, and collaborate with team members.
Poorvanchal Aur Palayan: Transversing Migration Narratives
A virtual storytelling project led by Sudeshna Rana (Dhanbad Journal) and Akash Bharadwaj (Bihar Visual Archive). Focusing on Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and parts of West Bengal and Odisha, the project, in its inaugural edition (2023-24), brought together stories of migration, ranging from students' and marital relocation to labour mobility and transnational journeys shaped by indenture, Partition, and the Gulf oil boom. Supported by the Serendipity Arts Foundation, it highlighted the diverse lived experiences of eastern India, challenging dominant narratives that often overlook the region’s complex histories and cultural connections.