Known for its British colonial architecture, Lutyen's Delhi will soon see modern artwork in the area. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has come up with a policy on public art and earmarked Rs 5 crore to be spent every year on installing structures to promote public art in the city.
To begin with, the civic body will install a 30-foot stainless steel tree in the lawns of New Delhi City Centre, which earlier housed the headquarter of the Commonwealth Games.
“While Delhi has a lot of monuments, we lag behind when it comes to contemporary art. This steel structure is a step in that direction,” said Subodh Gupta, whose design has been approved by the NDMC.
According to the civic body, the idea behind the project is to bring people closer to art.
“At present, the only examples of public art in the city are at India Gate, Teen Murti, Dandi March and the stainless steel sprout structures at the AIIMS crossing,” said Anand Tiwari, spokesman of NDMC.
It will take at least nine months to install the tree, and will cost Rs 3 crore. “The moulding of the tree will be done out of India,” added Gupta.
“One of the reasons the civic centre has been selected is because two floors of it can be accessed by the general public. It has an art gallery, library and a conference centre too. So this location ideal for the structure,” said Tiwari.
{{/usCountry}}“One of the reasons the civic centre has been selected is because two floors of it can be accessed by the general public. It has an art gallery, library and a conference centre too. So this location ideal for the structure,” said Tiwari.
{{/usCountry}}The civic agency also plans to install similar structures in other parts of the city.
According to the civic agency, now that a policy has been formulated, more areas in the city will be shortlisted to install public art structures.