India’s First 3D Museum Takes Art World by Storm

Thousands of guests have been visiting the facility established by the Click Art Museum in Chennai ever since its doors opened. As many as 24 "interactive" paintings — known as "optical art" or "3D art" — are on display at the museum, as a culmination of three years of hard work.

The works of art are the brainchild of south India-based artist, AP Shreethar, who has put together dozens of art-driven facilities. He admits this was his first breakthrough though he has been in the profession for decades.

Speaking to Sputnik, Shreethar said: "I never expected this kind of overwhelming response from the public. I owe this success mostly to the social media."

There are 24 paintings ranging from taking a selfie with a guerrilla to getting kicked by martial arts legend, Bruce Lee. Many of the works have found a particular interest among children though they have appealed to audiences of all age groups. Shreethar said it takes anywhere between a week and two months to draw a 3D picture.

In response to a question about the reason behind the venture's unexpected success, Shreethar answered: "I think it is because the viewers themselves get to be part of the images. When they go and stand there in front of the paintings, they no more feel they are different from works. In regular paintings, people simply come and click photographs of them. That's the secret behind the success story."

Though such museums filled with 3D paintings have been assembled in several other places such as Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong, this is the first of its kind in India. Shreethar, who already has about 40 backup paintings, is planning to assemble more such museums in other Indian cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, thanks to the taste of his first success. Scores of people have even traveled from thousands of miles away to come to Chennai to visit the museum.

Firnas Hussain, the manager of the museum, told Sputnik: "This museum is going to be a permanent structure and we hope to attract more visitors in the coming days. The entry cost is also relatively low compared to similar museums in foreign cities." Admission for an adult costs as low as Rs 150 ($2.23) and for a child, it is Rs100 ($1.5).