In a move to beautify the national Capital, two per cent of all developmental projects will be used for exhibiting public artworks on Government buildings and flyovers. Delhi has a lot of spaces wherein public art and installations have been carried out by individual artists to beautify the city. Some of these include lodhi Art district, AIIMS flyover and Commonwealth sculpture near the Barapullah flyover. Interestingly, the guidelines on public arts were issued in 1970 by then Ministry of Works and Housing but the same could not be practised.
During the Round Table on Public Art in Delhi, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday told the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) that the two per cent of project cost would be recovered from Government projects only. “Public artworks not only enhances the aesthetics of public spaces but also have the potential to boost tourism,” Puri said.
Public artworks may include any art which is exhibited in a public space, including publicly accessible buildings, but often it is not that simple. Rather, the relationship between the content and audience, what the art is saying and to whom, is just as important if not more important than its physical location, said an official.
According to DUAC officials, there are over 100 flyovers in Delhi, which could be best places for display public artworks, and this would also make the city world class. “There is no mechanism for public artworks in Delhi. If someone wants to paint a mural, fresco or wall painting in a public place, there isn’t any single body which is involved the formulation of guidelines,” officials said.
Puri said in many national Capitals of the world, public spaces are seen as an opportunity for displaying creativity. “Such creative and artistic works not only beautify the city but also capture its soul. They not only enhance the aesthetics of public spaces but also raise the stature of the city in the eyes of the visitors and have great potential to boost tourism. Such public arts also strengthens the affinity a resident of the city feels for the city,” he added.