New Delhi, Sept. 29 -- At the Tridhara Durga Puja, Kolkata, a contemporary art installation is catching the eye of visitors. Dhwani, a sculptural work, 12 feet tall and weighing 150 kilos, has been envisioned as a manifestation of the Kundalini Shakti. Curated by Myna Mukherjee and produced by Shilo Suleman in collaboration with members of the Lohar community of blacksmiths in Rajasthan, the installation is a multi-layered one.

For one, it brings together the age-old tradition of metalwork with new age media. In a way, it breaks the silos of folk and contemporary art. Every year, the Durga Puja pandals across the country turn into canvases for public art, where millions of people encounter different visual vocabularies outside the white ...