Mountains with a view

How a new festival is creating a platform to highlight the rich cultural and natural heritage of over 100 communities living in the fragile Himalayas

- VAISHALI DAR

A striking six-foot-high sculpture resembling a motorcycle helmet and crafted from mycelium, an innovative organic material, stands tall at the entrance of Travancore Palace in the national capital, which is hosting the 10-day multidisciplinary festival, Journeying Across the Himalayas.

Titled Helmeted Hyphae and created by an urban contemporary art collective XXL, the helmet is one of a dozen-odd artworks crafted as part of Royal Enfield's partnership with a not-for-profit Helmets For India, and India Foundation for the Arts, with the sole aim of bringing road safety initiative and forcing helmet usage.

From a helmet covered with face masks, another designed with mobile tempered glass to one that paints a connection with nature, 12 artists are part of this exhibition who have transformed helmets into unique creative expressions reflecting personal stories, gender journeys, and memories of bike rides.