Gen Z’s artistic voice has found itself a home in Mumbai

If there’s a single element of modern living that Gen Z values more than others; it’s a platform. Be it through jumping aboard a TikTok trend or raising their voice in the local park, the present crop of teenagers and young adults appreciate being handed a megaphone when they want their voices to be heard. While their personal style and social media identities have gifted them with the freedom of expression, their artistic voices are also being heard.

Lakeeren is at the forefront of this movement that gives Gen Z a deserved audience; steadily opening the inlet through which their creative expression flows. In 1995, their gallery was inaugurated by M. F. Husain himself; which went on to play host to artwork by the masters, from V. S. Gaitonde to S. H. Raza. They also opened the gates for artists who showcased through unorthodox mediums such as rice paper and egg cartons as well as younger artists who experimented with web-based and installation art. Now, with Gen-Z Unboxed: The New Avant-Garde, it’s the next generation of artists they are providing a platform to. 

Centred around six young artists; Ashna Malik, Anushree Rabadia, Krishna Ghosh, Liactuallee, Nishita Jain, and Pranshu Thakore, born between 1995 to 2007, the exhibition serves as a movement that redefines survival, connection, and imagination. The greatest distinction between generation Z and the ones who came before them is the surplus of technology they’ve grown up steeped in. From smartphones in their hands, oura bands on their fingers and smart locks on their doors, Gen Z’s growing years have been shaped by the accelerating pace of technology, political unrest, climate crises, and algorithmic manipulation. In the exhibit Gen-Z Unboxed: The New Avant-Garde, the six budding artists embrace fragility as strength and uncertainty as potential to touch upon the topics of climate anxiety and social polarisation.

Krishna speaks through lines of sediment of the Mahi River; transformed through cyanotype abstractions, on the fragile nature of the earth’s ecology. Liactuallee reimagines fragile identities built from recycled textiles, showing us that overlooked ecosystems can gain visibility. Pranshu creates hybrid creatures that blur the boundaries between human and non-human; to discuss survival, and shared existence. Nishita’s work; inspired by Grimm fairytales, reveals deliberate blind spots that confront silence in memory. Anushree captures fleeting shifts of light through tactile surfaces that evoke presence. Ashna presents interactive sensory works that urge deeper reflection on connection. As subjective as art it is, when used as a form of expression, it inherits the responsibility to have sensitive, impactful conversations. The works of Gen-Z Unboxed confront global instability with curiosity and imagination by turning the uncertainty of the future into a space for reinvention and resilience.

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While most five-star hotels are a haven for spacious suites, private dining and sparkling swimming pools; rarely does one tick all those boxes while also celebrating art and embracing culture. The Grand Hyatt in Mumbai is that exception. It houses Lakeeren Contemporary and gives young artists a platform; like the Gen-Z Unboxed: The New Avant-Garde exhibit, which will run until October 31, 2025. Throughout its two decades, the Grand Hyatt has celebrated art and culture in every nook and corner; be it vintage artefacts in the lobby, rock sculptures by the elevators or the glorious 40-foot Egyptian-style contemporary waterfall with a distinctive Nandi sculpture at its heart. Now it opens its arms to Gen Z and their powerful voices through their craft.

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