MG Road turns canvas ahead of Haryana investors’ summit

As Gurgaon inches closer to host Haryana’s first global investors’ meet, 70 artists gave MG Road a colourful makeover on a hot Friday afternoon.

As Gurgaon inches closer to host Haryana’s first global investors’ meet, 70 artists gave MG Road a colourful makeover on a hot Friday afternoon.

Homemakers, students and renowned talents started painting installations on MG Road on March 1 as part of the Gurgaon Artistes’ Fest organised by the MCG and Gurgaon Action Plan. (Abhinav Saha/HT Photo)

Homemakers, students and renowned talents started painting 11 installations on both sides of the road on March 1. After spending eight hours every day, 11 teams were seen giving final touches to their creations on Friday.

The initiative is part of the Gurgaon Artistes’ Fest organised by the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) and citizen group Gurgaon Action Plan (GAP).

A number of themes showcasing Gurgaon were handpicked and given to 11 teams comprising six members each. Famous artists such as Jagannath and Veer Munshi guided the volunteers.

Homemakers, students and renowned talents started painting 11 installations on both sides of the road on March 1. (Abhinav Saha/HT Photo)

One such installation near JMD Regent Square is on migratory birds that flock to th e city’s wetlands. An abstract with an owl’s face was painted opposite this installation.

“We chose to paint an owl because over 30 bird species flock to Gurgaon, but are ignored by birders. Gurgaon has a number of wetlands, grasslands and parks that are home to a number of birds, not just domestic but also migratory ones,” Shampa Moitra, an artist and playschool teacher, said.

The installation near JMD Regent Square is on migratory birds that flock to Gurgaon’s wetlands. (Abhinav Saha/HT Photo)

Another installation showcases the importance of nature with mirrors, murals and paintings of butterflies and flowers. The artists, also nature enthusiasts, said they chose the theme as it was crucial for any city to keep its natural resources intact.

“This is our fourth day here and we are painting nature on our canvas. The painting signifies the importance of natural resources and stresses that it is important to groom our environment,” Simran Tur, one of the artists, said.

After spending eight hours every day, 11 teams were seen giving final touches to their creations on a hot Friday afternoon. (Abhinav Saha/HT Photo)

Students of Delhi Public School in Sector 45 and Blue Bells Model School in Sector 4 also participated in the fest. A team of six students from Blue Bells Model School painted a canvas outside Grand Mall on the theme ‘Green Gurgaon’.

“We approached the artists on social networking sites and asked them to help beautify Gurgaon. The MCG provided all material and the teams worked for hours every day to make their installations unique,” Sameera Satija, coordinator and member of GAP, said.