Can Hyderabad be the next center of contemporary art in India? This is a question worth asking, considering the expansive scope of art initiatives emerging in the city.
For several decades, the cultural scene of Hyderabad has been a confluence of Deccani history alongside a strong presence of visionary classical musicians, dancers, and theatre performers from all across the country and the world. Rabindra Bharati, Hari Hara Kala Bhavan, Necklace Road, and Shilpakala Vedika hosted performances by Ustad Zakir Hussain, Vikku Vinayakram, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Shobha Naidu, Surabhi Theatre group and more.
While there has been an awareness and acceptance of classical forms of art within the city, its relationship with modern and contemporary visual art has been in a precarious state. It is lesser known that Hyderabad has one of the oldest art schools in the country, established in the 1940s by the Nizam, which now serves as JNAFA University dedicated to fine arts. It also stands alongside three other art schools that have been consistently mentoring artists from across the state and the country. Visual art teachers such as Kavita Dueskar, Laxma Goud, Thota Vaikuntam, Surya Prakash, and DLN Reddy since the 1980s have been instrumental in nurturing multiple generations of artists and mentors for the city.
The rapid development of the IT industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s also saw a rise in public and private art spaces dedicated to modern and contemporary art. The Chitramayee State Art Gallery, Kalakriti Art Gallery, Srishti Art Gallery, and Daira Centre for Arts and Culture offered support and space for artists. During the past decade, there has been an upsurge in interdisciplinary and interactive spaces alongside art cafes that have set the city on a new transition. Some of the seminal ones in this journey include Dhi Art Space / Dhi Contemporary, Kadari Art Gallery, Lamaakan, and Katha Cafe. This new inflow of spaces has been supporting and nurturing all kinds of artists, musicians, performers, poets, and filmmakers. There are also the Hyderabad Literature Festival and India Photo Festival that have been activating the city periodically. While these initiatives have brought new artistic energies, the exposure to global contemporary art is limited. During my work with Dhi Contemporary over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to introduce to the city some of the critical artists from the national and international art scene.
However, there were limitations to exhibiting works that could create an impact and familiarize the audience with the expansive scope of contemporary art. It is in this context the RMZ Foundation’s sculptural installations and Art Walks create a unique opportunity to experience large-scale installations by key artists from India and the world. They echo the RMZ foundation’s vision of infusing art to heighten cultural awareness and public engagement. Situated across the RMZ sites of Sky View, Nexity, and The Loft in Hyderabad, these presentations include works by Shilpa Gupta, Manisha Parekh, Thukral and Tagra, Arun Kumar HG, Sir Michael Craig Martin, Shaika Al Mazrou, and more. Operating as office and recreational spaces, they invite audiences to experience and spend time in the presence of these artworks. Such encounters with art are crucial in shaping a new generation of art enthusiasts, collectors, and creators in the city as it finds a new and globally informed cultural path.
