Kalakriti India · Hyderabad · Art in the Public Realm
Public
Art Projects
Taking art beyond the gallery walls — into the streets, underpasses, medians, and public spaces of Hyderabad.
Art belongs to
everyone
“Art is not meant only for gallery walls. It belongs to every street, every underpass, every public space where people live their lives.”
For over two decades, Kalakriti India has been committed to bringing ambitious public art to Hyderabad — transforming the city’s urban fabric through large-scale installations, murals, sculptures, and street art that are experienced by hundreds of thousands of people every day.
This work is led jointly by Kalakriti Art Gallery and the Krishnakriti Foundation, in collaboration with the Government of Telangana, corporate partners like IKEA India, and a community of local and national artists. Through ArtCafe, Kalakriti also offers public art as a professional service — available to hotels, corporations, institutions, and city authorities seeking to transform their spaces.
Since 2016, Krishnakriti Foundation and Art@Telangana, in association with the Government of Telangana and the Street Art Foundation, have jointly conducted the Telangana Kala Mela and the Street Art Festival — transforming entire buildings in Hyderabad into mega-scale canvases for artists from across India.
These projects have made Hyderabad one of the most visually alive cities in South India — a city where art is not an amenity but an integral part of daily urban experience.
From the iconic Love Hyderabad sculpture on Necklace Road to the IKEA India Underpass Mosaic Mural, from the MS Maqta Street Art District to the Love Vizak Sculpture in Visakhapatnam — each project is a permanent contribution to the public life of a city.
Work that endures
in the public realm
Since 2016, in association with the Government of Telangana, Art@Telangana, and the Street Art Foundation, Kalakriti and Krishnakriti Foundation have led the annual Street Art Festival at MS Maqta — transforming the entire neighbourhood into one of Hyderabad's most distinctive public art districts. Entire building facades become mega-scale canvases for artists who visualise and execute works in situ. The project has given MS Maqta a new cultural identity, drawing visitors and art lovers from across the city.
One of Hyderabad's most photographed landmarks, the iconic I Love Hyderabad sculpture on Necklace Road was installed by the Krishnakriti Foundation. Set against the backdrop of the megalithic Buddha Statue in Hussain Sagar, it has become an inseparable part of the city's identity — a joyful, permanent declaration of civic pride that draws residents and visitors in equal measure every day.
Commissioned by IKEA India, this large-scale mosaic mural was designed and executed by Kalakriti to transform a major Hyderabad underpass into a vibrant public artwork celebrating local culture, colour, and the character of the city. The project demonstrated Kalakriti's capacity for corporate art commissions of significant scale and complexity, delivered with full design and production management by the in-house team.
Also commissioned by IKEA India, this project brought sculptural installations to major road medians across Hyderabad — bringing art into the daily commute of thousands of residents and signalling the city’s ambition to embed culture into its public infrastructure. The sculptures were designed and produced by Kalakriti’s in-house team of artists and technical operators.
Following the success of the Hyderabad installation, the Krishnakriti Foundation was instrumental in placing the I Love Vizak sculpture on R.K. Beach Road in Visakhapatnam — set against the iconic Submarine and TU Museum to create an unforgettable impression of the city for residents and tourists alike. The project extended Kalakriti’s public art footprint beyond Hyderabad to Andhra Pradesh.
In association with the Embassy of France in India, Krishnakriti Foundation jointly conducted Bonjour India in Hyderabad in 2010, 2013, 2017–18, and 2022 — a major public celebration of French art and culture that brought international artists and performers to the city, reinforcing the deep cultural ties between Kalakriti India and France that began with Prshant Lahoti’s Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2012.
Public art as
a professional service
Through ArtCafe, Kalakriti India offers the full range of public and commercial art services — from large-scale murals and sculptural installations to corporate hotel artification and artist collaboration. Every project is managed end-to-end by an in-house team of artists, designers, and technical operators.
Large-scale murals, sculptures, and installations for public spaces — cities, institutions, and infrastructure projects.
End-to-end art curation and installation for corporate offices, hotels, restaurants, and commercial spaces of every scale.
Connecting artists with commissioners for site-specific works — from concept development through to final installation and documentation.
Working with architects and interior designers to integrate original art into residential, commercial, and hospitality projects.
Professional framing, mounting, and installation services for individual works and large-scale collections.
Strategic art advisory for institutions, collectors, and developers — drawing on Kalakriti’s 20+ years of expertise in Indian art and heritage.
MS Maqta —
A city transformed
The MS Maqta Street Art District is perhaps the most sustained and visible expression of Kalakriti’s belief that art belongs in public space. Since 2016, what was a largely overlooked neighbourhood near the Maqta bridge has been transformed into one of Hyderabad’s most distinctive cultural destinations.
Each year, the Telangana Kala Mela and Street Art Festival brings a new wave of artists to the area — painting entire building facades with works that range from monumental figurative murals to intricate pattern-based designs. The result is a living, evolving open-air gallery that changes with every edition.
The project is conducted jointly by Krishnakriti Foundation, Art@Telangana, and the Street Art Foundation, in association with the Government of Telangana — a model of private cultural vision and public institutional support working together.
“Art belongs to the city. To every street and every wall. To every person who walks past it on their way to work.”
— Kalakriti India
Commission a project
or collaborate with us
To discuss a public art commission, corporate artification project, or institutional collaboration, get in touch with the ArtCafe team. We work with city authorities, corporations, hotels, developers, and cultural institutions of all kinds.
Banjara Hills, Hyderabad — 500 034
