A prelude to the master plan for Delhi’s Public Art, the third edition of Sculpt for Delhi was organized by Delhi Art Society from February 10th through February 17th, 2020. The exhibition, which took place at Visual Art Galley and Central Vista of Indian Habitat Centre, was divided into sculptures, paintings for frescos, and various contemporary installations.
Neeraj Gupta, the President of Delhi Art Society, was the curator behind this exhibition. He believes that placing at public places strengthens the public voices, which is instrumental in making the capital city a better place.
Some renowned artists whose works were on display include Anjali Khosa Kaul, Neeraj Gupta, Naresh Kapuriya, Bhola Kumar, Bipasha Sen Gupta, and 15 others.
One of the noteworthy artworks was free-standing installations were Heaven and Earth. This sculpture showcases an elephant drinking from a large utensil, even though plenty of other small utensils are empty. The issue of climate change was highlighted through this sculpture.
The negative impact of plastic waste on human waste is depicted through an artwork by Anu Jindal titled ‘Plastic Kouros.’ Plenty of PET bottles of soft drinks are shown to pierce through a human body in this sculpture, just like bullets.
In this artwork ‘Cityscape, the artist Mukul Panwar showcased a marble sparrow on a landscape of a contemporary city. He highlights the reduction in the number of house sparrows in Delhi.
Analyzing mixed-media installation Exile by artist Farhat Jamshed gave a glimpse of struggles by migrants across the globe. One can view a wooden door that leads to an empty space, having brambles of dry, thorny branches.
These are a few examples that reflect how art is a perfect medium to highlight the burning issues. One notices that the majority of artworks showcase the problems that are universal in nature and not restricted to a particular region.
Talking about the initiatives by Neeraj Gupta on improving the scene of public art, he has shared a proposal to the Urban Art Commission of Delhi. The proposal comprises recommendations on how to effectively utilize the funds for public art. The document covers the locations, artists’ names, and a particular section that talks about the proper allocation of funds.
Mr. Gupta opines that there are plenty of suitable locations to install artworks in Delhi. Some of these locations include exteriors of shopping malls, roundabout in Lutyens’ zone, the lawns under the Dhaula Kuan flyover, and entry/exit points of Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Mr. Gupta also feels that exhibitions like these will be crucial to encourage the art students to follow their passion. Due to a lack of opportunities, various art students leave this stream or work simply as a teacher. Such events are expected to bring a paradigm shift.
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