Maqta Art District

St+art India Foundation began its journey in Hyderabad in 2016. Thanks to the crucial collaboration with local project partner Krishnakriti Foundation, Maqta Art District became an open-air contemporary urban art museum for all. The art district was inaugurated on 16th December 2017 by Honourable Minister KT Rama Rao, becoming one of the new contemporary landmarks of the capital of Telangana.

The Maqta area was chosen owing to its unique location and its characteristic flavour. Its proximity to the Hussain Sagar Lake and to People’s Plaza - landmarks and gathering spots for the city - along with its rich fabric, made it the perfect canvas for engaging public art interventions. The re-imagination of the neighbourhood has resulted in a unique example of how art can energise and regenerate a public space.

In a neighbourhood where the streets were unnamed, a colour-coding system was devised by painting entire lanes in specific colours as a base for the artists to paint on, while offering a geographical and emotional navigation system through the maze of MS Maqta. The green, pink, turquoise gullies and the blue chowk immediately became a valuable system for the inhabitants, while offering a different creative input for the participating artists and a very tailored approach to the urban fabric of Maqta.