Jaya He GVK New Museum — Attraction in Mumbai

CURATORIAL NOTE ON THE ARTWORK PROGRAM Art Wall Small In India Jaya He mark and celebrate every rite of passage, particularly in travel – every threshold and doorway is enriched by ritual consecrating the journey through it. Jaya He ambition was to bring this sensibility to the airport, infusing meaning into the huge spatial volumes of T2 Mumbai. Jaya He was conceived as an initiation into the immediate environment and the larger context of the airport, the city of Mumbai and of India as a whole. Reflecting the many - layered story that is India, the collection evolved into an immense multi-disciplinary endeavour, like a new museum. Arguably India’s largest public art initiative, Jaya He has two distinct sections so far. The first of these is in the arrivals corridor, consisting of a series of nos. especially commissioned artworks that map the city as a layered narrative, unfolding page by page before the disembarking travellers. The second section is a wall running like a central curvilinear spine, designed to direct and control circulation of passengers through the terminal. Jaya He wanted the wall itself to become the artwork of an immense sculptural tableau of India’s plural cultural legacy, living traditions and contemporary artistic expression. Jaya He brought together designers, artists, artisans, architects, art historians, anthropologists and conservators with technicians, all working together to distil and interpret India culturally, aesthetically, historically and socially in a manner that leaves visitors with doubt that they are in the heart of the South Asian...

JAYA HE GVK NEW MUSEUM Art and Culture : GVK CSMIA T2 is home to India’s largest public art programme, titled ‘Jaya He’, in the form of a 3.2 km multi-storey Art Wall, illuminated by skylights, that has over 5000 pieces of artwork and artifacts from every region & corner of India. Possibly India’s largest public artwork project to date, Jaya He Museum at the Mumbai International Airport, spans across Terminal 2 and is a landmark corporate initiative to safeguard an immense cultural resource.

One of the few Installations I liked during my visit here: Recycled & Unconventional Map of Mumbai Hawa Mahal in Turban denoting Vaayu (An element of panchmahabhuta) Frozen Fire denoting Agni Moving Constant- (Tanjore Paintings- Folk Art Form) Nomadic Tribes (Gadiya Lohar) Vahanas (mount/vehicle) of a Hindu God Palitana Painting (09/09/1934) Special thanks to Ms.Ashwini Varma @ashwini_varma for a guided tour of the museum. You can also plan your visit, for no matter how many times you transit through the airport, Domestic or International, it been created in a way that you will be see a new detail in these exquisite “narrative trails” rich in ethnographic stories every time you are at the Airport. CSMIA gives you an opportunity to take a guided tour of the museum in the departures section. Called as Jaya He Safari, these tours can be availed for free as you depart...

I had an amazing experience with the GVK guided tour of the museum. The guides were fantastic and very interactive. The exhibits are phenomenal and having someone explain it makes one appreciate it further.

This is a free of cost tour that you can take if you have a long layover or waiting time at the airport. One can easily register for it online on the csia website. They say the registration should be done prior to 24 hrs but I had done some 15 hrs before and they accomodated me. My tour was around 2 hours and it was time we'll spent. It is up to you how much and how long you want to spend. The flexibility is its hallmark.

Overall I would love to do this again as I was only able to see the parts in the domestic level of the terminal. Specially recommended for all foreigners who travel in and out of the country. If you love art and sculpture, you would not regret making this decision.

I also got a thank you email along with a pic and a few post cards...