Public spaces in Delhi to be adorned with waste-to-art figurines
The corporation invited bids for the development of 47 types of sculptures and murals
Even as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi moves towards the completion of its third waste-to-art park in the city, the civic body is now going ahead with its plan to decorate the Capital’s public spaces and key intersections with waste-to-art art installations.
The corporation invited bids for the development of 47 types of sculptures and murals which will be divided into seven themes revolving around Indian culture, music, and art forms. A senior municipal corporation official said that these installations will be developed using the scrap material sourced from 43 municipal yards and stores and they will be both two and three-dimensional figures with varying heights from six to eight feet.
According to the report prepared by the horticulture department, the installations have been divided into seven themes of Indian classical dances, folk dances, scientists, sages, and musical instruments among others. “For the classical dances, there will be eight two-dimensional mural structures, 7 feet high and half feet wide. These panels will educate people about the artforms like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, and Odissi,” the official said.
The civic body will get the sculptures developed under the rate contract system which will cost up to ₹5 crore and will be done over 12 months. The maintenance of the art galleries will be carried out by private operators.
The second series will feature 12 sculptures on the folk dances of India including Kalbelia, Koli, Bhangra, Garba, Bihu, Ghoomar, Laavani, Dandiya, and Kumauni, among others.
“Each sculpture will be placed on brick platforms decorated with marbles and with details of the dance form,” the official added.
Replicating the hand gestures or mudras depicted at the immigration counter of the Delhi airport, a series will be developed. Each mudra will be a three-dimensional structure with a height of eight feet, six feet deep, and 10 feet long.
The last set of art installations in the series will comprise musical instruments played together traditionally like rudra veena and mridangam, shehnai and tasa, ektara, and dilruba, etc., along with a group of people playing Indian classical music.
Another series is being developed on the 14 Indian sages and scientists ranging from mathematician-astronomer Aryabhatta, Baudhayan, Shushruta, Nagaarjuna, Bhaskaracharya, and Patanjali, among others.
A senior municipal official said that the sculptures will be put on display at suitable thematic locations to be decided.
The winged horse depicting a leaping unicorn will be the largest art installation in the project —10 feet high and 12.6 feet wide — and will be accompanied by panels branding India as an emerging unicorn destination.
The phrase “unicorn companies” is used for companies that are valued at over $1 billion and are leading successful tech startups. India has 115 unicorn companies with a cumulative valuation of over $350 billion.
Since the first waste-to-art park at Sarai Kale Khan was opened to the public in February 2019, featuring replicas of the seven wonders of the world, the project has rapidly expanded. Lack of open recreational theme park spaces after the closure of Appu Ghar and Delhi Eye, additional points accorded for such waste reuse projects under Swachh rankings, along with lucrative revenue generation observed in existing facilities, have been fueling the growth of such parks.
The MCD in March had announced a waste-to-art theme park near east Delhi’s Vikas Marg, which will be based on the theme of Indian festivals and celebrations. It will be spread over an area of 2.7 acre and will cost ₹1.75 crore, officials had said.
