Noted writer and columnist, Shobha De called the ongoing Shillong Literary Fest in Ward’s Lake as the “prettiest” that she had seen in the entire world.
While she waxed eloquent about the pretty picture Shillong presented, everyone that visited the lit fest seconded her thoughts, calling the setting an absolute charm.
Behind the unique aesthetic for the festival was renowned artist, Benedict Hynniewta. Calling the festival extremely relevant, Benedict stated that giving the youth reading and writing would lure them away from bad habits, including drugs.
On how his team went about setting up the entire art installations that are currently being raved about, Benedict stated that it was definitely not easy given the topography of Ward’s Lake.
“I called a team of artists, my friends without whom the entire setting would not be possible. We brainstormed and decided to use recycled materials as much as possible. For the ceiling of the main stage, we have decided to use mostly local newspapers and decorations. We folded the newspapers and then stitched them. We have tried to promote local newspapers like ST, Mawphor with their writing being on display,” Benedict said.
Almost 200 kgs of newspapers were used to decorate the main stage.
On another section that is a walkthrough, the team created a structure using cotton balls and LED lights that actually resembles clouds – akin to the state being known worldwide as the ‘Abode of the Clouds’.
“Since the lit fest relates to literature, we have created installations like pencils, brushes and quill pens that are placed at various parts of the venue to enhance,” he said.
Another installation that he said was challenging was the hanging of waste plastic bottles that they used plastic bottles, coloured them and then hanging it on the ceilings. “It is symbolic as the structure resembles a butterfly that gathers knowledge in a cocoon before emerging as a beautiful work of art. It’s about creativity, freedom. A work of art is like a butterfly that gathers information in a shell before emerging as a work of art,” he added.
