The following abstract is in continuation to my talk at the Arisa Foundation, Pune on 29.03.2026
Our relationship with space is not only visual or functional — it is emotional, social, and deeply embodied. This session will explore how architecture and urban design can bring people closer to art, to one another, and ultimately to themselves.
Beginning at the scale of the city, the talk would reflect on how collective and participatory art in urban space functions as an affordance for connection, inviting engagement, shared attention, and a sense of belonging. When people interact with art rather than merely observe it, public spaces shift from being anonymous settings to lived environments shaped by emotional and social presence.
The inquiry then moves inward, considering how similar participatory approaches within more personal or intimate spatial conditions support psychological awareness, emotional regulation, and self-reflection. Here, architecture is understood as a quiet facilitator — holding space for interaction, sensing, and expression.
Alongside the talk, a participatory installation invites individuals to map experiences of belonging across collective and personal scales. Through simple acts of making and movement, participants engage with space as both a shared and inner experience.
Together, the talk and installation (optional) propose that when architecture enables participation, art becomes a bridge between the city/place and the self — nurturing collective social health while supporting individual psychological wellbeing.
Keywords: Neuroarchitecture, Psychology, Art, Design, Urbanscapes, Healing environments, Health and Well-being
By, Ar Komal Chokshi of Kolab Studios