Bagri Foundation Partners With 99% Invisible Podcast

The Bagri Foundation is pleased to announce a new partnership with the renowned podcast 99% Invisible, of the Radiotopia podcast network from PRX. Created and hosted by Roman Mars, 99% Invisible explores the unnoticed architecture and design that shapes our world, including visuals, infrastructure, sound, cities, objects, history and technology.

Mutually driven by curiosity, the Bagri Foundation is pleased to support three new episodes focusing on Asian art and architecture. Released between June 2020 and May 2021, the three episodes will explore a variety of concepts inspired by cultural phenomena from across Asia. 

The first episode, titled Return of the Yokai, airs on 23 June and is brought to listeners by 99% Invisible producer Vivian Le. Exploring the development of mascots throughout Japanese history, the episode looks at Amabié, one of many ‘Yokai,’ or spirits, from Japanese folklore. Their stories sprouted out of Japan’s ancient religious history of Shintoism and have echoed to the present day pop culture. Once you understand their history, it is possible to trace the influence of Yokai in Manga, video games, and more, including mascots channeling Amabié in order to bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. This episode is a great launching pad for the Bagri Foundation, as it engages creatively with traditional histories in a wholly contemporary way.

Listen to the first episode here.