Hon’ble Shri Rahul Narwekar, Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, inaugurates Arunkumar HG’s new public art installation
Mumbai, 13th August 2026: The RPG Art Foundation, in association with the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), unveiled its newest public art commission, ‘Overshoot — Leaning Ecologies’, by artist and sculptor Arunkumar HG at Nariman Point, Mumbai. The installation was inaugurated by Hon’ble Shri Rahul Narwekar, Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
Overshoot draws inspiration from the ancient landscape of Garapuri, or the more commonly known Elephanta Island. Renowned for its rock-cut cave temples created between the 5th and 8th centuries CE, the island acquired the name Elephanta after a basalt elephant sculpture was found there in the 16th century.
Overshoot is a homage to this history – a modern-day metaphor for memory, resilience and foundation. The installation is built with different forms of stone – marble, granite, basalt, sandstone and as a nod to its history, old carvings incorporated into the foundation. At the centre of the piece is an elephant and resting on its back is a fluid architectural form that shifts between a tower, temple shrine, skyline and an eroding mountain – a blurring of boundaries between what is built and what is unravelled.
Standing in Mumbai – a city shaped by the duality of extraordinary human ingenuity and profound ecological transformation, Overshoot, invites the viewer to ponder on human desire for expansion, permanence and greatness. The title is also a callout to ecological overshoot – the point at which human demand exceeds the Earth’s capacity to regenerate. It asks you to reconsider what sustains human civilization – the monuments it raises or the living world it chooses to carry forward.
Hon’ble Shri Rahul Narwekar, Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, said, “This public art installation by RPG Art Foundation beautifully captures the evolution of our city. The elephant, a nod to the ancient Garapuri caves and the modern architecture that arises out of it, shows the balance between the past and the future. It truly represents the spirit of Mumbai in its entirety. Great work by RPG Group to uphold our city’s ethos of resilience.”
Arunkumar H G, Artist, said, “I am deeply grateful to the RPG Art Foundation for this opportunity to create an artwork for such an important landmark in Mumbai. The historic Elephanta Caves and their monumental sculptures have been a profound source of inspiration. In this work, I have tried to bring together two temporalities of Mumbai – the city’s contemporary vertical aspirations and the deep historical landscape upon which it stands. I am particularly inspired by the Garapuri Elephant, now housed at the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, which evokes the enduring presence of memory, strength and the cultural landscape of the island. The artwork is an attempt to let these histories converse with the rapidly transforming city of today”
RPG Art Foundation said, “With ‘Overshoot — Leaning Ecologies’, we are pleased to bring Arunkumar H G’s distinctive artistic vision to one of Mumbai’s most prominent public spaces.The piece nudges the viewer to ponder upon the city’s history and the future we are building. It is our endeavour to create a platform for artists and make art accessible for Mumbaikars.”
Arunkumar H G‘s work has been exhibited in India and internationally, including at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Mediations Biennale in Istanbul, Sculpture by the Sea in Aarhus, Denmark, and the San Diego Art Institute.
Follow him on Instagram @arunkumarhg
The RPG Art Foundation provides a platform for citizens to experience the work of established and emerging artists. The Foundation aims to make art accessible to the citizens of Mumbai and has sponsored various art exhibitions and installations across the city.
Follow the Art Foundation journey at @rpgartfoundation.
RPG Enterprises, established in 1979, is one of India’s fastest-growing business groups with a turnover of US$ 5.2 Billion. The group has diverse business interests in the areas of Infrastructure, Tyres, Pharma, IT and Specialty as well as in emerging innovation-led technology businesses.
