Sky Bound Dreams:

About artwork:

Sky Bound Dreams

Dimensions: covering a space of 28 feet in length × 8 feet in height × 4 feet in depth

Location: Hyderabad International Airport

Medium: Metal (fiber-reinforced composite with bronze finish) and dichroic acrylic

Title: “Sky bound Dreams”

Year of Completion: 2025

About MadhuChandrika:

Madhu Chandrika is an accomplished artist known for her work in the field of contemporary art. She has gained recognition for her unique artistic style and innovative approach to storytelling through art and incorporating art into architectural spaces. She is the founder of Earthen Symphony, a Bangalore-based art and design studio known for its large-scale, site-specific installations. For over three decades, she has been transforming architectural spaces into immersive experiences that blend art, culture, and storytelling.

Introduction:

“Sky bound Dreams” by Artist Madhu Chandrika is a captivating artwork that invites viewers to reflect on the beauty of imagination and the journey of dreams. The installation is located at Hyderabad International Airport and stands out for its artistic vision, craftsmanship, and emotional resonance.

Concept and Inspiration:

Sky bound Dreams draws its inspiration from one of the most timeless symbols of childhood — the paper plane. It captures the universal joy of folding a simple sheet of paper and watching it take flight, carrying with it unspoken dreams, curiosity, and imagination. In this installation, three stylized children are shown in moments of playful animation — one launching, another chasing, and a third waiting in wonder — each embodying a different stage of aspiration and hope. Suspended above them are a constellation of iridescent paper planes that shimmer with light, representing dreams in flight and the infinite possibilities that lie ahead. The scene transforms a busy airport corridor into a space of poetic reflection. As travelers walk by, they are reminded of their own journeys — how every flight is not just to a destination, but a continuation of dreams once imagined, nurtured, and released into the world.

Materiality and Process:

The sculpture combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary fabrication. The child figures are sculpted in a low-poly geometric style, lending them a modern yet timeless appeal. They are cast in fiber-reinforced composite with a metallic bronze finish, creating the warmth and texture of metal while maintaining lightness for the elevated installation. The paper planes are crafted from dichroic acrylic, a material that changes color as light shifts across it — a deliberate choice to evoke the magic of transformation and motion. These suspended planes catch the light and scatter hues of pink, blue, and gold across the space, creating a dynamic interplay between art and environment. The installation process required intricate structural coordination. Each figure was sculpted, finished, and assembled at the studio- Earthen Symphony in Bangalore before being transported to Hyderabad. The planes are suspended using near-invisible steel wires to give them a sense of effortless flight. The layout is carefully engineered to align the planes’ trajectories, creating an illusion of upward movement — symbolic of aspiration and growth.

Symbolism and Experience:

Sky bound Dreams is more than a visual experience; it’s a story about imagination and journeys. Airports are places where countless beginnings unfold — where dreams take tangible form through travel, discovery, and connection. This artwork transforms that everyday passage into a metaphorical flight path of the human spirit. For children, paper planes are symbols of play and creativity; for adults, they recall the innocence and optimism of youth. By juxtaposing both ideas, the installation connects every traveler to their inner child — that part of us that still believes in wonder. The bronze tones of the figures anchor the piece in warmth and nostalgia, while the luminous dichroic planes symbolize modernity, innovation, and the ever-changing hues of hope. Together, they bridge the past and the future, evoking the shared dream of humanity to rise, explore, and evolve. Sky bound Dreams thus stands as a celebration of imagination in motion — a reminder that every journey begins not at the runway, but in the mind’s eye, where the dream of flight first takes shape.

Artist’s Reflection:

“Airports are spaces of both movement and emotion. I wanted to create an artwork that pauses people for a moment — to look up, smile, and remember the simple joy of dreaming. The paper plane, for me, is a metaphor for that very first spark of imagination — fragile yet fearless, humble yet full of wonder.”