Asian Paints Art House Anchors At The Mumbai Urban Art Festival

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Asian Paints Art House Anchors At The Mumbai Urban Art Festival — And We’ve Got The Deets!

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Mumbai Port Authority, Asian Paints and St+art India Foundation have unveiled the Asian Paints Art House, a unique project anchored at the Mumbai Urban Art Festival (MUAF).

Mumbai Port Authority (MBPA)—considered pivotal in the development of the national economy, trade and commerce in the megacity—turns 150 years. And in honour of this milestone year, Asian Paints and St+art India Foundation have teamed up to debut Asian Paints Art House, a unique project currently anchored at the Mumbai Urban Art Festival (MUAF). This comes paired with an exclusive preview of Sassoon Dock Art Project II — Illusions, a series of works that reflects on some of the complexities of transactional reality, by proposing alternative, fluid, and expansive views. This project is open for public viewing from January 13 to February 22. The launch also saw the announcement of 2023 Asian Paints Colour of the Year—silver escapade.

Asian Paints Art House

Created by Ayaz Basrai from The Busride Studio, the Asian Paints Art House is designed to represent a node in the ocean. Doubling as an energy vortex in the Sassoon Dock that pulls various gatherings of cultures, arts, and peoples, this project also aims to redefine the meaning of ‘home’. Instead, creative living and modular design—also created by The Busride Studio—find a space here. The shining glory, however, rests at the root of it. The entire project has been done up using waste, debris, up-cycled fabrics, and other bits and pieces found around the dock; along with hints of Silver Escapade, the 2023 Asian Paints Colour of the Year, thrown into the mix, too.

Silver Escapade

Announced at the launch of the Asian Paints Art House, Silver Escapade serves as a symbol of the desire to create a new world that blends the nostalgia and comfort of childhood memories with the futuristic edge of innovation. Festive aesthetics aside, the shimmery tones are also associated with anti-microbial qualities that lend to the assurance of a sanitised environment. Bungalow, an inflatable textile installation by UK artists Steve Messam, is a testament to this.

Bungalow features a large silver form that represents the hustle-bustle, yet constantly brimming with ambition, signature of Mumbai. The structure’s undulating forms and angles remind of the coexistence of people who have migrated to the metropolis in hope for opportunities. Its reflective surfaces are a sight to behold, especially as it transforms the colonial-style building into surreal levels.

Speaking on the launch, Amit Syngle, Managing Director and CEO of Asian Paints Ltd. says, “We are proud to unveil the ‘Asian Paints Art House’ and the 2023 Colour of the Year at the Mumbai Urban Art Festival. We are thrilled for the public to see what has been created at Sassoon Dock, representing Mumbai City, its art and culture, in a way that Mumbai may have never witnessed or experienced before. Illusions, is another landmark project we’ve launched at Sassoon Dock, adding to our collective vision of celebrating Mumbai city and its people.”

The opening of the Asian Paints Art House also witnessed Asian Paints and St+art India Foundation drop five NFTs—some of which feature silver escapade—created by visual artist Amrit Pal Singh, in collaboration with artists Atia Sen, Neethi, Osheen Siva, Shantanu Hazarika and ZERO. Singh is credited for creating Toy Faces, a collection of portraits driven by nostalgia and childlike wonder. For MUAF, the notable artist has lent his canvas to five individual artists, resulting in a playful mixing of styles and mediums.

Syngle says, “I am very excited for the NFTs that have being curated for the festival with a tinge of Colour of the Year – Silver Escapade. A call out to the St+Art India Foundation for co-curating the Mumbai Urban Art Festival and building onto our long-time partnership. A special mention to the Mumbai Port Authority for their support in making MUAF a possibility.”

Notably, Asian Paints and St+Art India Foundation have been working collaboratively for eight years now. Through the years, the two aim to beautify public spaces through various projects. This year, this goal is brought to life with the launch of the three-month long Mumbai Urban Art Festival that is taking on a city-scale endeavour including landmark murals, experiential exhibitions and immersive installations across several locations.

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