MUMBAI: Five artists selected from over 170 entries will present installations around this year’s theme, ‘Your Happy Place’.

Bacardi NH7 Weekender’s eighth edition in Pune this December 8-10 will feature ‘Your Happy Place’, the festival’s Art and design showcase, co-curated by design and art studio, Design Fabric and festival organisers, OML. Its theme, ‘Your Happy Place’ aims to initiate conversations for a better world.

The festival announced its call for entries for art installations in early September. Artists across India were asked to interpret the theme and create installations to evoke positive responses. The initial shortlist of over 170 applications was made on the basis of a portfolio, and the subsequent 15 artists submitted proposals around their idea. The Design Fabric team came down to the final five selected artists from these submissions. Here are the selected artists:

Acubestudio - A multi-disciplinary design studio based in Pune striving to create objects that foster unique experiences.

Aanchal Tandon - A 23 year old design student from New Delhi who aims to create things that matter by engaging in honest conversations.

Digvi Shah and Aeshna Prasad - Architects by profession, design enthusiasts by choice, Aeshna and Digvi began their journey as installation artists over five years ago.  Their shared love for creating experiential, spatial and symbolic installations brings them together for this installation.

Durga Gawde - @durgagawdestudio is run by practicing fine artist Durga Gawde who not only creates art but also shares her creative action with the world through educational programs based on the idea of learning through making.

{+}R.O - An architectural and design research collaborative based in Mumbai working on a diverse range of projects including architecture, interiors, product and speculative design.

Design Fabric curator Sanket Avlani says, "In recent years Installation Art has probably played the leading role in the Contemporary Art movement globally. And although India has a few renowned Installation Artists, it is still in its nascent stages as a practice. So, when Bacardi NH7 Weekender approached us to explore a possibility of doing a curated, theme based installation art exercise, it felt like an open call to entry might enable us to find artists from across the country. We saw around a 170 applications from designers across disciplines and even design studios participating. In two rounds of selections, the final 15 submitted proposals that answered to the brief. With what is going around the world today, the theme of Your Happy Place was to be able to create Installations that enable feel-good moments for those attending the happiest music festival. Kudos to the festival, flag-bearers for independent creators, for being the foremost promoters of culture across discipline and encourage that was that aging all forms of the Arts."

Right from the first edition in Pune 2010 where a 40ft wide disco ball was hung to mark the way to one of the stages, to iconic art such as 2012’s Rock Ness Monster, and more, the art installations have become a much-loved, much-visited and much photographed part of the festival. Over the years, the festival has become well known for showcasing intriguing art, installations, intricate stage designs and graffiti, apart from a line-up of top Indian and international music artists.

OML Entertainment CEO Vijay Nair says, "The festival is a place for the creator community in India, whether in music, or in art, stage, graphic or visual design and technology. Through the years we’ve worked closely with some of the most groundbreaking artists in India, including Bombay Duck Designs who created the collaborative The NH7 Periphery Art Project (2016), Shilo Shiv Suleman’s Pulse and Bloom (2014) that was also showcased at the Burning Man festival and Ayushman Mitra’s The Art of Kissing and Lolly Dolly (2014). As much as the music, art and design will always be key to the Bacardi NH7 Weekender experience.”

The festival’s home leg in Pune is highly anticipated with performances by artists such as Steve Vai, Cigarettes After Sex, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Textures, Marky Ramone, Vishal Bhardwaj, TM Krishna, The Ram Sampath Experience, Indian Ocean and several more. The festival schedule will be released on the festival website. Tickets from Rs. 2250 to the festival are available on Insider.