Life Vest Under Our Seat
As a City of Dreams, Mumbai has played host to diverse communities from across the Indian sub-continent. The Kolis have been its early inhabitants; engaged in fishing and trading, they have contributed immensely to the growth of the city.
However, the uneven pace of modern development has generated contradictory conditions. On the one hand, there is an inner pressure to protect the traditional way of life and on the other, there is a compulsion to explore newer professions and ways of life.
This artwork by Siddharth Somaiya presents a young man on the cusp of an exciting but ambiguous future. He hears echoes from the past but also sees the promise that the future holds. As fishing villages transform into urban settlements and as infrastructural projects alter the landscape, he muses about tomorrow’s world. He asks himself: what does the future hold?
In the wake of climate change and rampant pollution, our initiatives at JSW have actively tried to protect the bio-diversity of places and preserve cultural traditions. Our commitment is to support sustainable development and create a million opportunities.
We would like to tell the pensive young man what we believe wholeheartedly at JSW: it is only going to get Better Every Day.
Art Dedication
This stunning sculpture is an art dedication from the JSW Group to the City of Mumbai.
After the unveiling at the AD Design Show 2019 in Mumbai on 18th Oct 2019, it will be installed at a traffic island in the heart of most prominent commercial hub - Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), located in Bandra, Mumbai.
The JSW group is honoured to play a small part in stregthening the cultural spirit of Mumbai by presenting an art narrative on The Kolis : the early ihabitants of Mumbai. This is yet another endeavour of the JSW Group in shaping Indian Art & Culture.
About the Artist
Siddharth H. Somaiya
“As an artist I have shown in galleries in New York, Chicago and Mumbai. I love making hyper-local works of art which blossom in the context they are in. Most artists barricade their works with ropes and chains. For me, the most important element is when people can come close, touch and feel my work so they can connect with it at a deeper level. Today real human interaction is getting lesser and lesser with technology. I want my works to bridge this gap and allow people to come and immerse themselves into my work as if it was just a natural part of their surrounding. ”
Gallery
