There are certain things you can count on seeing when visiting the Indiana State Fair: farm animals, fried foods, shows at the grandstand, and rides galore. All of those elements are still in place.
However, entering the Harvest Pavilion on the State Fair campus on Indy’s north side feels a world away, thanks in large part to an art installation by Pakistani-born Anila Quayyum Agha.
All the Flowers Are for Me: Turquoise uses light, shadows, and patterns from a large turquoise cube to create inclusive, immersive, and shared experiences. Agha’s piece creates shadows through specially constructed screens surrounding the cube on all four sides.
“It’s pretty amazing,” the longtime Indianapolis resident says. “Being on a stage this big is incredible.” Agha has called the area home since 2008, moving here to teach at the Herron School of Art and Design, which is part of what is now known as Indiana University – Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI).
These Flowers Are for You is a bonus work of art, with Agha opting to paint the outside of the walls with vibrant flowers. “I wanted them to receive a bouquet,” she says, referencing fairgoers.
The Harvest Pavilion is home to Artscape, a place where fairgoers can step out of the heat and sun and into a temporary interactive art gallery created by Newfields.
“The State Fair is a chance to take art to where the people are,” Vice President of Marketing and External Affairs Jonathan Berger says. “These are our neighbors. This is the community we’re in and bringing what we have to the community.” Newfields and the State Fair campus sit five minutes apart by car on Indianapolis’ north side.
In this case, that includes mazes for kids to explore, on-site art-making for all ages, and Agha’s stunning work. “I wanted people to be able to see it from a long distance and to be enticed to come closer because I believe art should be for everybody – it shouldn’t just be for the elite,” Agha says. “My work kinda creates a space where everyone is welcome and I want audiences to walk around and experience the shadows my work creates. I want people to realize that, once they walk around and become part of the shadows themselves, they become part of the art.”
Presented by Newfields, the Indiana State Fair, “The Art of Nature and Fun” runs August 2-18 and is closed on Mondays. Tickets are available via the State Fair website, along with maps of the campus and a complete schedule of shows and events.