Terminal talent: The art show at ‘luru airport

Editor’s note: First, Mumbai’s terminal 2 led the way—with eye-popping art that filled a tired traveller’s heart with delight. Now it is Bangalore’s turn. The new international terminal features 60 works—ranging from digital art to wooden toys, ceiling installations to food ingredients, puppetry to board games. Noor Anand Chawla picks 12.

Written by: Noor Anand Chawla is an independent lifestyle journalist who writes on travel, fashion, art, culture, food, health and technology. Her work has appeared in Mint Lounge, Reader’s Digest, HT Brunch, Firstpost and more. You can follow her on Instagram.

Over to Noor…

The Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru commissioned 43 artists to create art on the theme of ‘Naurasa’—or the nine emotions. The 60 mixed media works of varying sizes include contemporary artwork, folk art from Karnataka and a few ancient bronze sculptures on loan from the state government. The show—curated by a committee led by Yamini Telkar—took over four years to put together and is a permanent installation that fills you with delight every time you’re getting ready to jump on a flight—which is saying something given the state of modern air travel! Here is our pick of the must-see artworks on your next trip to Terminal 2.

Nityotsava, Nallur Tamarind Grove by Vivek Matthew

Most travellers experience anxiety or stress while travelling. However, once you walk through the aesthetically pleasing tamarind grove photographed by Vivek Matthew, which decorates the ceiling and walls at the entrance of Terminal 2, you are likely to feel calm and happy. The greenery shown in this artwork is also a nod to Bengaluru’s status as a city of gardens.

Spiral of Life by Anupama Hoskere

The Sutrada Bombe style of string puppetry is unique to Karnataka and was a practice exclusive to men, owing to the physical strength required to manoeuvre them. However, Anupama Hoskere took on the challenge and has made a name for herself as a master puppeteer. In this piece, she invokes the nine emotions of Naurasa by modelling her puppets on the salabhanjikas/madanikas granite stone sculptures of the 13th century Chennakesava temple of Beḷur near Hassan made in the Hoysala style.

Sensorium of Wonders by Gaatha Design Studio

This unique two-sided Bidri craft panel depicts the flora and fauna of Bengaluru’s gardens on one end, while reproducing a map of Bengaluru in the form of a circuit board, on the other. The latter pays ode to the city’s status as a technology hub. Bidri is a unique craft where silver is used to fill designs carved into a metal plate, which is then coated with a special soil found in Bidar fort to add a signature black lustre. This particular work has been made by master craftsman MA Rauf along with the team of Gaatha Design Studio. You can see it in the lead image and below.

The Symphony of Emotions by Santosh Kumar Chitragar

Another prominent craft from Karnataka is Kinnala art where figurines or toys are made from wood and beautifully painted. In ‘The Symphony of Emotions’, traditional craftsman Santosh Kumar Chitragar creates a set of winged Kinnala figures which hang from the ceiling to bless people entering the airport. Their benign expressions convey the nine emotions. 

The Journey of Navarasa by LN Tallur

The best public art is the kind that invites one to interact with it. Artist LN Tallur’s bronze sculpture does exactly that with its hollowed out head and high podium, which encourages visitors to stick their heads in the hole and pose for photos. The imposing haloed figure is inspired by Garuda, the flying vehicle of Lord Vishnu. It’s decorated with nine birds, highlighting that birds were the inspiration for aeroplanes. 

Bird’s Eye View by Madhvi Subrahmanian

Having lived in numerous places, artist Madhvi Subrahmanian believes that the world is interconnected. She plays with this concept in her large scale set of artworks. Here, she depicts the layouts of 16 airports connected to Bengaluru, as seen from an aerial position. Prominent yellow markings mimic the tarmac lines that one sees on the runways of airports. At 40x20 feet, these two massive sculptures are the largest ones on display at the airport and seek to inspire awe (or adhbuta rasa).

Nauraspur by Pragati Mathur

Nowhere in history has the concept of the naurasa been embodied as well as in the city of Nauraspur made by Ibrahim Adil Shah II of Bijapur. He created a city in nine layers to house artists that would dedicate themselves exclusively to each emotion. Textile artist Pragati Mathur plays on this concept by creating an installation with nine layers of fabrics of different textures and colours to invoke the nine emotions. This elaborate and eye-catching artwork hangs from the ceiling in undulating waves.

Flights of Wonder by Ravikumar Kashi

The traditional Channapatna style of wooden lacquer toymaking dates back to the 18th century. Artist Ravikumar Kashi uses it expertly in his large installation. The artwork includes 600 small wooden birds, each made with a distinctive design within the permitted colour family of Channapatna art, displayed in a beautiful pattern that mimics the murmuration of birds in flight. The sizes of the birds and their positions also differ, making the art truly unique. 

That Which Encircles Us by Tanya Mehta

Ask residents of Bengaluru their favourite part of living in the city, and the response is likely to be its beautiful and temperate weather. This is why artist Tanya Mehta’s animated digital artwork captures Bengaluru’s real-time weather changes through technology. On the screen, a woman looks out onto a picturesque landscape set amidst whimsical clouds, with slight movements and colour variations depicting the changes.

Games of Mysore by Yayati Godbole

While walking through Terminal 2, be sure to look at the floor so you don’t miss the striking marble installations by artist Yayati Godbole. Inspired by the many board games invented by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar Bahadur III who was considered a maths genius, she reproduces 12 board games in black and white squares complete with animals, intricate designs and the traditional board game structure. 

Cosmos by Siddharth Kaneria

Artist Siddharth Kaneria adopts a unique approach to depicting the naurasa, by focussing on the emotions evoked by the different flavours of a wholesome meal. The work presents eight cyanotype glass panels decorated with digital prints of ingredients, layered in a way that invites interaction from both ends. The blue-coloured ingredients also remind one of the cosmic universe. 

The Moon by Krishnaraj Chonat

This large installation suspended from the ceiling depicts a realistically cratered moon on one end. On the other—its hollowed innards represent the coracle boat that is traditionally used by fishermen in Karnataka. The statue of a young girl, modelled on artist Krishnaraj Chonat’s own daughter, stands guard atop the circular figure, to preserve the dreams that bring multitudes into the bustling city of Bengaluru.