DUAC plans to use public art to ‘trigger discussion’

The DUAC,with support from various civic agencies and the government,will utilise the space being offered by various Commonwealth Games projects for art forms that will “trigger public attention and discussion”. The commission plans to install art forms that will engage citizens with events during and after the Games.

These art forms will include murals and installations celebrating Delhi’s diversity and the common man’s life and memories; the works of famous poets could adorn the facades of public buildings and bus stops in different languages. “The Games projects can contribute to public art projects using the existing government stipulation for fund allocation for art,” Ravindran said.

“Delhi lacks public art installations that engage public space with creative dynamism. We need to identify our audience and then install art forms that are created around their experiences,” designer and visual anthropologist Siddhartha Chatterjee said.

“Artists always deal with issues but when it comes to public art,the whole thought process changes,” contemporary artist Vivan Sundaram said. “The 48 Degrees Celsius Festival,held in December,served a similar purpose. For instance,the use of the ubiquitous plastic water bottle as part of the installation at Roshanara Garden focused on recycling,” Sundaram said.

Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna,who inaugurated the workshop,has now asked DUAC to submit concrete proposals and has also assured the commission that its proposals would get the “full support of the Urban Development ministry.” The L-G said there was an enormous need to create art forms that would engage the citizens’ attention both aesthetically and intellectually.

“What is this life of rush and care if there is no time to stand and stare,” he said while adding that the commission should ensure the new art forms “induce harmony.”

The DUAC and the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee will draw up a proposal and submit a road map for actualisation of projects to authorities concerned in the coming weeks. A group of advisors will also be formed for negotiating the quality of the projects,DUAC members said. Various architects,planners and members of the DDA,PWD and other civic agencies also participated in the workshop.