Unity through art: French wall artists create unique mural at IIIT-H campus

Hyderabad: The International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT-H) has a new eye-catching mural on its campus on a spiral staircase.

The mural was painted at the end of the three-day art festival that was recently conducted by Alliance Francaise de Hyderabad and IIIT-H.

The French Institute in India, the network of Alliances Francaises in India, JSW Paints, and their partners collaborate to celebrate art and culture in Indian public spaces through visual artworks. As part of the festival, French wall artists Kid Kreol and Boogie, Olivia De Bona, Neethi, and Mr. Poes are painting walls in 13 Indian cities.

Unlike other walls at IIIT-H campus, which generally come alive with eye-catching murals, abstract art, and portraits during the annual cultural festival Felicity, the spanking new wall art on Himalaya's (a location in the university) stairway is a bit unique.

After making their mark in Pondicherry, Kid Kreol and Boogie made a stop at IIIT-H where they chose the spiral staircase at Himalaya as their canvas. "Regular, flat walls can be found wherever, and they are the same in France as they are in India. However, the stairwell's circular structure was quite remarkable. When we arrive at a location, the location teaches us how to draw, and we put our hearts into it. In Pondicherry, we painted a big, sleeping figure on a long wall in a roadway. However, in this case, it was logical for us to select this (stairwell) because it is unique. It's like a framework within which we improvise," Kid Kreol reflected.

"Through our art, we went all the way back in time where in the beginning there was only light. But if you split it, you find a spectrum. Hence there are 24 colors on this staircase, with the undulating lines symbolising nature, the topography of the region, the shape of the sea, sound waves or even the loops and whorls of individual fingerprints," added Kid Kreol.

The bright wavy lines have been spray painted onto the wall against a navy blue backdrop. According to the team, as art is wont to do, the blue denotes a deep kinship between the two countries of France and India. "We're connected by the ocean," said Boogie, implying that the Indian landmass and the Reunion island were once one before the tectonic drift.

The artwork was inaugurated by Telangana IT secretary Jayesh Ranjan.