On the last day of the festival, art connoisseurs and city lovers gathered at the State Art Gallery for a talk on Art and Heritage in Smart cities. The panel comprised of Sonali Bhagwati, architect and member of Urban Arts Commission, Delhi, Jayesh Ranjan, the Secretary, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Government of Telangana and Vivek Nanda, urbanist and master planner who was also the moderator of the session. He highlighted the importance of making art an integral part of the city plan. Jayesh pointed out, “We have a few plans on our mind for the city, one of them is to use technology and art together. We plan to create an art space at each of the upcoming 62 metro stations, highlighting local art.” citing the example of the ‘I love Hyderabad’ installation where there have been repeated complaints of people trying to climb the installation to click selfies, Jayesh emphasised the importance of citizens appreciating art and not vandalising it.
Sonali, too, pointed out that one must make art a priority as it helps clean the city. “If a place is shortlisted for an art installation, the place will be cleaned automatically,” she says. The audience actively participated in the discussion, pitching some vital points to think over. They highlighted how important the partnership of the private industry and government is, to create and maintain art in the city and how more local artists should be given a chance to showcase their talent.
