Allu Sneha Reddy joins India’s 1st stepwell art biennale in Hyderabad

Hyderabad is set to make cultural history by hosting what is being hailed as India’s first stepwell art biennale, called Baoli Art Sangam, an ambitious 40-day public art showcase running from December 1 to January 10 across twin cities. Adding major cultural weight to the initiative, Allu Sneha Reddy has officially come on board as Chairperson- Culture & Heritage, bridging the city’s mainstream public spotlight with heritage preservation and contemporary design.

Co-founded by artist and curator Annapurna Madipadiga alongside renowned water conservationist Kalpana Ramesh, the biennale unites two distinct narratives: water and art. Speaking on Allu Sneha Reddy joining the initiative, Annapurna Madipadiga shared:

“I have known her for quite some time, and when I spoke about this initiative, what we are trying to build with Baoli Art Sangam, she was very excited, and she believed in the cause. The art biennale we are working on is in circularity; while we are doing it as a public art display, the entire narrative and the crux of it is water in Telangana.”

Madipadiga further highlighted why the chairperson resonated so deeply with the mission. “That is the need of the hour also, with the water crisis we have. When we build a biennale around stepwells, stepwells are connecting. A biennale around stepwells is our narrative and story, and she really wanted to be a big part of this. That’s how she has come on board,” she tells Siasat.com.

A prominent Hyderabad-based entrepreneur, educationist, and social media influencer, widely recognised as the wife of Telugu cinema superstar Allu Arjun, Allu Sneha Reddy brings both creative acumen and immense public reach to draw younger audiences toward the city’s architectural heritage.

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Inside Baoli Art Sangam

Spanning 13 distinct stepwells located from Golconda to Rashtrapati Nilayam across Hyderabad, the biennale leverages historic architecture as connecting dots for public engagement. Elaborating on the spatial design and structural philosophy of the event, Annapurna explained that it is the first time that an art display in public spaces at this scale is happening in Hyderabad, calling it the world’s first Stepwell Art Biennale.

Addressing how the artworks integrate with the heritage sites, distinguishing Telangana’s utilitarian water structures from the ornate stepwells found in other parts of India, she said, “When I say it’s a stepwell biennale, it’s not that my focus is solely on the stepwell or that the artwork is inside the stepwell. The artworks are in the venue where the stepwells are located. In Telangana, these stepwells are more functional wells rather than ornate ones, as you see in Gujarat and other places across India. They were built for water. In some locations, there is artwork in the stepwells, but for most locations, we are using the surrounding spaces within the venue.”

With water championed through Kalpana Ramesh’s restoration ethos and art steered by Annapurna’s curatorial vision, this monumental 40-day gathering promises an unprecedented fusion of ecological consciousness and creative expression for the city.

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