Celebrating dreams, uniqueness and the never-give-up attitude of Mumbai

Mumbai is a dream destination for many, and has always been a city filled with those who have big aspirations and ambitions. To celebrate this unique trait, contemporary culture platform Ikai Asai, founded by Ananya Birla, has launched an amazing piece of public artwork called ‘The One That Got Away – Cityof Dreams’. This artwork celebrates Indian artistry and modern design, whilst sending a powerful message about being unique and ambitious.

This 12 foot sculpture is part of a new public design and art project called ‘Stories {in}form’ by Ikai Asai. This project designed by Ananya Birla encourages people to engage with art and culture in everyday public areas.

The concept ‘The One That Got Away – City of Dreams’ involves the city of Mumbai. Everyone comes to this city with their own dreams. This celebrates people who do things differently. The name of the artwork refers to people who always dream and like to do things their way. It celebrates why it is important to be unique and how everyone’s dreams help the city. There are 26 ‘balloons’ that reach up to form a canopy shaped like a cloud. Each one represents an individuals dream, but altogether they represent the hopes and ambitions of millions of people living in Mumbai. The eye-catching artwork weighs around 9,000kg, making you stop and think about your own aspirations.

Not only is this artwork eye-catching, it sends a powerful message about sustainability. It has been created using mainly Kansa metal from Ikai Asai’s craft collections.

This project combines traditional Indian metalwork with modern artwork. It shows how traditional crafts can be relevant in today’s designs. It also shows how traditional materials can be used to make meaningful pieces of public art.

The artwork has been placed within Horniman Circle. This provides an interesting contrast as it is surrounded by historical buildings and busy city life.

“We wanted to create something as a tribute to Mumbai. It really is an inspirational city. This sculpture celebrates those who have the bravery to trust themselves and how everyone’s individual dreams can contribute to something bigger,” Ananya Birla said. Ikai Asai is a contemporary culture platform founded by Ananya Birla. It focuses on bringing Indian art, craft and design to the modern world. Ultimately, ‘The One That Got Away – City of Dreams’ is a celebration of those who dream in Mumbai and having the bravery to be unique.

It shows how everyone’s individual aspirations can contribute to something bigger.