Meet the collective in Hyderabad using art for public dialogue

Newwave Art Collective in Hyderabad is using art for public dialogue. The group is having their first show at State Art Gallery.

A site-specific installation of a thotella—the traditional decorative structures carried in procession during the Bonalu festival in Telangana—now greets passers-by in Budwel, near Rajendra Nagar in Hyderabad. Adorned with old photos and framed images of deities, the structure turns ritual remnants into an artwork.

The installation was created by art students and their teacher, Biluka Nirmala of the Newwave Art Collective (NWAC). The idea came from noticing the debris discarded after festivals. “We wondered if we could make art from those beautiful structures,” Biluka recalls.

But recycling waste was only part of the intention. The group also wanted people to stop, look and ask questions. “When passers-by asked what it was about, we spoke to them about environmental responsibility and the need to protect our water bodies,” she says.

Working at the site | Photo Credit: special arrangement

The collective aims to redefine contemporary art, foster community engagement and use its work to spark social change. The group includes former students of Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU) and Hyderabad Central University (HCU).

“The collective thrives as a mentor–mentee group,” smiles Biluka, an assistant professor in the department of painting at JNAFAU. “Since we share similar ideas, we wanted to create public awareness and dialogue around social issues—gender, equality, ecological crisis, as well as caste, community and identity—through our artistic practice.”