Visitors can engage with Uramado in three ways. First, there is the hunt for Tanukis. The app-driven search encourages people to explore and scan hidden stickers to wake the spirits
Hyderabad: Something unusual is happening in the city. Spirits of the forest, Tanukis, are waking up and are scattered across the building of Alliance Française Hyderabad, waiting to be found. Starting February 10, Uramado, an augmented reality (AR) exhibition by Paris-based designer Julie Stephen Chheng, is inviting visitors to track down these spirit animals with nothing more than a smartphone.
Children being the main target audience for this exhibition, Jwalitha Kallam, culture and communication coordinator at Alliance Française Hyderabad, explains how it works. "You download the Uramado app, scan the Tanuki stickers placed across the space, and they wake up. Each one asks a question. By the end, you discover your own spirit animal." It is part game, part art installation and completely immersive.
This exhibition combines technology with an ancient tradition from Japan and China. Tanukis are creatures from Japanese folklore, known for their trickery and shape-shifting. Chheng, who experiments with digital storytelling, turned this idea into something people can experience directly.
Visitors can engage with Uramado in three ways. First, there is the hunt for Tanukis. The app-driven search encourages people to explore and scan hidden stickers to wake the spirits. "We've placed 24 Tanukis around the building," Jwalitha says. "Not too hidden. We want seven-year-olds to be able to find them."
The second part makes it more personal. "Once you answer all the questions, you don't just find your spirit animal. You also learn if you are more connected to a day or night Tanuki," she says. The day ones are animals like sheep, foxes and buffalo, while the night ones are tied to elements like wind, fire and shadow.
The third part is hands-on, where visitors can participate in a workshop to create masks of their spirit animals. "They cut out masks, scan them in the app, and suddenly their creation comes to life in AR," Jwalitha explains. There is even an option to turn their Tanuki into a pen holder.
Though designed for kids, Uramado is not off-limits to adults. "It is open to everyone. The treasure hunt is simple enough for a child, but it can be just as fun for grown-ups." Supported by the Embassy of France in India, Uramado is traveling across the country, stopping at festivals and cultural spaces. Stephen Chheng is in India, visiting select locations, though Hyderabad is not on her itinerary. Uramado will be open in Hyderabad from February 10 to 21, inviting visitors to step into this magical world between 10 am and 5 pm.
