Of late, galleries are not the only place where art can be experienced in Hyderabad. Skyview on the busy Hitech City Road in Madhapur with its twin towers- The Skyview 10 and The Skyview 20 offers an artistic experience that integrates art with work and leisure space. Currently, 14,000 employees are working in 28 companies under hybrid working norms. In Skyview Towers.
This 22-storey IT park, developed by RMZ Corp and My Home Group, spread over nearly 2 million sq ft per tower, offers offices, common areas and an artistic space to public spaces. The two sculptures in the common areas of Skyview 20 (referred to as Tower 20), a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), are visible to all employees. Skyview 10 (or Tower 10), a non-SEZ area open to visitors, features four exhibits on the city and a mural.
art meets technology
‘A Walk to Remember: Your Art Walk experience starts here’, says a signage on Tower 10, which gives a glimpse into the artworks, complete with route maps to their locations. Or just stand there, and scan the QR code to see them all.
Shailaja Siramsetty and her team at Woodhenge artwork by Gigi Scaria | photo credit: special arrangement
Contemporary artist Sunil Gawde’s Fly Away, Swim Closer, a painted fiberglass bulb, a replica of an electric bulb, hangs from the ceiling of Tower 10, encouraging viewers to choose their individuality. It makes you think, are you like the worm that gets attracted to the light, blindly follows someone and loses its identity or are you like the firefly that has the light within?
allegory and more
On the arresting image of a dream sculpture by Preeti Patnaik Thukral and Tagra | photo credit: special arrangement
Art gets a symbolic representation here. For example, Veer Munshi’s depiction of the endangered Hangul, deer in Kashmir in brass is an allegory for the impending extinction of several ethnic communities. The work explores the inclusiveness of migrants in urban development in the context of ecology and culture. An artistic statement reads, ‘Deer antlers growing in the woods, waiting to return to the roots.’
Fly Away, Swim Closer by Sunil Gawde | photo credit: special arrangement
For Shailaja Siramsetty, facilities manager at CGI Information Systems & Management Consultants, the golden deer is linked to mythological tales. “With computers dominating our lives, the greenery and artworks here are a welcome respite. They give us a break from work, a chance to rest our eyes. Even when chatting with co-workers, I gaze at the greens.” I steal a glance and feel relaxed,” she says. Help desk executive Preeti Patnaik agrees, “With its golden body and antlers, the deer evokes a sense of calm and helps me stay calm and focused. “
art and artist
Endangered Hangul – Veer Munshi
Tribute to Hendrik van Ryde – Tree of Needs Arunkumar HG
Arrested Image of a Dream – Thukral and Tagra
Colony Collapse Disorder – Vibha Galhotra
Woodhenge – Gigi Scaria
Fly Away Swim Closer – Sunil Gawde
Arresting image of a dream sculpture by Thukral & Tagra | photo credit: special arrangement
Colony Collapse Disorder is a fabric-thread-steel installation by Vibha Galhotra, which highlights the concretization of cities and the depletion of natural resources; The monumental pair of wings in marble chips and resin by Thukral & Tagra at Urban Terrace (UT) captures the spirit of freedom to let dreams take flight. Wings symbolize a desire for more freedom, a reminder of experiences yet to be discovered, says Preeti.
Quite naturally, the wings are a popular selfie spot. Visitors ‘wear these wings’ by stepping between them for quick clicks. “I took some selfies and brought my family over one weekend to see the artifacts and enjoy a feather tour,” says Srinivasa Murthy, senior manager of facilities operations at Intercontinental Exchange Inc.
Hyderabad is celebrating
Mural by Rapol Abhijeet Rao | photo credit: special arrangement
A mural by Rapol Abhijit Rao, in the first floor of Tower 10, celebrates Hyderabad’s beautiful blend of tradition and modernity with contrasting walls that contrast the city’s iconic structures and traditional festivities on one side and Hyderabad’s IT hub on the other. Abhijeet, currently pursuing his master’s at Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Bengaluru, did not want his work to overwhelm the audience with too many visuals. “Since the walls are nine feet high and have long stretches (20 meters and 15 meters on either side), I have created an abstract, minimalistic version of Hyderabad,” he says.
Tribute to Hendrik van Ryde by Arun Kumar HG – Tree of Needs | photo credit: special arrangement
Tower 20 also houses the sculptures Hendrik van Riede – Tree of Needs (wood obtained from industrial scrapyards and steel) by Arunkumar HG and Woodhenge by Gigi Scaria – made of bronze and yellow sandstone – described as the ‘vertical ascent of the various’. as described. Structures balancing on top of each other to form a unified form indicative of a united society.
As art becomes integrated into workplaces, Skyview has turned into a gallery in the open. In addition to providing an educative experience by introducing employees to the finer points of the visual arts, this approach has brought art directly into their daily routine and created many treasured moments for them. Srinivas pointed out the advantage of having artwork in the project. “One can never be so excited to see an artwork in a closed environment like a gallery, it is much more enjoyable in the open.”