As a part of ‘Hyderabad Metro Art Fest ’25’, IGA Galleria and L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad organized and hosted the ‘Students Art Project’ at the Next Premia Mall, Irrum Manzil, Hyderabad, from the 31st July to the 3rd August 2025. Total forty students from three reputed art institutions of the city are participating in this event to create 10 live art installations using found and discarded materials. The event offered a conceptually engaging and visually impactful artistic environment that engaged viewers to reflect on various themes and different modes of art making. During these four days the event provided a platform where the common public of different age groups and backgrounds got the opportunity to witness the process of art making and interact with art students, the curator and mentors.
One faculty member from each art institution guided their students as mentors. They were Mrs. Rupavani Talari (JNAFA University), Mr. Krishna Reddy (Suravaram Pratap Reddy Telugu University) and Mr. Tanmay Santra (University of Hyderabad). This art project was curated by Dr. Priti Samyukta, Associate Professor, JNAFA University, Hyderabad.
The students from these three colleges came up with exciting installations that immediately attracted the attention of adults and children alike. Total 19 students from the Department of Fine Arts, S. N. School from University of Hyderabad came up with four engaging and interactive installations. Below is a short summary of the thought and idea that went behind their work.
‘A Forest Within Walls’ is an interactive installation by five students – Monika Singh, Nityanand Gond, Sayuri Bhanap, Vijit Sinha and K. V. Krishnamurthy. This installation emulates the experience of traversing through a forest. In a time when nature is often experienced through screens and distance, this installation offers an emotional abstraction of the forest bringing its spirit indoors. It offers a chance to walk through the assemblage of materials, evoking curiosity and awe. Rather than replicating a forest, the space evokes its essence through layered materials, sculptural forms, and interactivity. Inspired by trunks, canopies, mosses, and fungal webs, the installation combines organic textures with synthetic elements like mesh, textiles, and wires.
‘Veiled Luminosity’ is an installation by Hemant Kumar, Jayalakshmi Raj, Binoy Sebastian Joseph, Thufail. K and Fida Parveen. The visual elements of their work talk about body, gender, and clothing. The figure is free-standing but encircled with beads, threads, fabric, mesh etc. It speaks of the fast world of consumerism and a space for humanism in that very world.
‘Nest of Stories’ is also an interactive walk-in installation by Rakesh, Arti Kumari, Tithi Gain and Bhumika Verma. Designed as a large cocoon made from dry branches, bamboo, rope, and recycled materials and placed within a mall, it offers visitors a surprising moment of calm and reflection amid the bustle. Shaped like a bird’s nest, the structure invites people to step inside, walk along a wooden path, and rest on soft mats over artificial grass. Accessible and serene, it offers a unique pause in a commercial space where people can connect with themselves, others, and a touch of nature.
‘What Remains’ is the installation by Ayushi Shukla, Kiranjyoti Konwar, Sadia Sharmin, Tanmoy Dutta and Tanusree Naskar, that transforms recycled paper and found objects into a life size human figure and a suspended cloud of memories. Sculpted from tightly rolled newspapers and magazines, the crouched figure symbolizes the quiet weight of memory. Above it, floats a constellation of paper fragments, quotes, headlines, leaves, and small objects inviting viewers to piece together fleeting stories. The installation aims to emphasize sustainability and the emotional power of discarded things. Through this reflective experience, ‘What Remains’ asks – What do we carry forward, and what gets left behind?
By the 3rd of August, all the students had completely installed their work and subsequently participated in a walkthrough of the works led by the curator. The students explained their thoughts behind their artworks to a curious audience of students, teachers and other spectators visiting the mall. They were occasionally met with doubts and questions from the audience which enhanced the overall experience of interactive installations.
The four-day event eventually ended with the closing ceremony carried out by the IGA Galleria where they distributed certificates and refreshments to the student participants. The ceremony ended on a jubilant note as the dignitaries present, including well-known artists and the art enthusiasts from the city were invited to interact openly with each other and the students, making it a memorable evening indeed.
Prepared by Tanmay Santra (Assistant Professor, Department of Fine Arts) & Sayuri Bhanap (3rd Semester- Student, MVA)