Over 8,500 brass bells shimmer within a towering 12.5-foot steel structure titled ‘Mystic Abode’, the first major artwork greeting travellers at the departure area of Noida International Airport (NIA), which is set to launch operations from June 15.
Created by Padma Shri awardee Paresh Maity, the installation was originally commissioned for the St Moritz Art Masters festival in the Swiss Alps in 2016, and has now been brought to India for permanent display at the airport. Evoking ideas of home, refuge and spiritual calm, the immersive artwork reflects anxieties of contemporary life: urban fatigue, environmental uncertainty and the search for inner peace, through the symbolism of bells.
“Walking through it feels less like viewing art and more like entering a meditative pause,” said Maity during an art walk at the airport on Tuesday. “People today are searching for calm. We are passing through a volatile, unsafe environment all around. This structure is placed to give you peace and salvation, just like home. The bell sounds break negative, stagnant energies to bring positive energy,” said the 61-year-old artist.
“These works do more than decorate airports. They introduce travellers to India’s rich heritage, creativity and artistic diversity. By combining architecture with large-scale art, Indian airports create memorable cultural experiences for millions of passengers to take back stories. More art needs to be public,” he said.
Airports worldwide are becoming experiential cultural zones rather than mere transit points. Sculptures, murals and interactive installations are reshaping travel spaces into destinations in themselves, reducing stress while reflecting local identity and creativity. “We are proud to have such wonderful Indian airports with both art and technology incorporated. Each artwork details can be accessed via a QR code, enabling passengers to access descriptions and context,” added Maity.
Another of Maity’s masterpieces at Noida airport, Jagriti (Awakening), is an 8×100-foot acrylic-on-canvas work spread across six panels. Conceptualised over two years, it draws upon the sadanga, the six classical limbs of Indian art aesthetics.
Linked through India’s sacred rivers — the Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati and Saryu — the work journeys through spiritually significant sites during the dawn, including Varanasi, Sarnath, the Taj Mahal, Mathura, Vrindavan, Ayodhya and the Mahakumbh, tracing the country’s civilisational and spiritual landscape.
Art is also woven into a larger architectural narrative. At Noida International Airport, the terminal design draws from the legacy of western Uttar Pradesh, incorporating red granite reminiscent of historic monuments, stepped forms inspired by Banaras ghats and open courtyards modelled on traditional ‘aangan’ spaces found in regional havelis.
Maity is no stranger to monumental airport commissions. Among his best-known works is ‘The Indian Odyssey’ at Delhi International Airport’s Terminal 3. The sprawling work, measuring 7×800 feet across 53 panels, depicts Indian landscapes, festivals and traditions. Delhi International Airport is also known for its iconic Mudra Wall, featuring giant hand gestures rooted in classical Indian dance traditions.
Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport has earned recognition for its extensive art programme, which includes hundreds of contemporary works and monumental sculptures such as Bengaluru’s Soul by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. The Navi Mumbai International Airport features a lotus-inspired design with rooflines that mimic the unfolding petals of a lotus, creating a sculptural yet functional identity.
Internationally, Singapore’s Changi Airport offers Kinetic Rain, a mesmerising installation of 1,216 suspended bronze droplets that transforms movement into visual poetry. Swiss contemporary artist Urs Fischer’s Untitled (Lamp/Bear) is a famous 23-foot, canary-yellow teddy bear sculpture located at Hamad International Airport in Doha.