Bengaluru: A little under a year ago, Jaaga, the artists’ collective, installed a series of installations under the Richmond Road Flyover. It was to be a celebration of city spaces. At first, a stream of curious passers-by would stop and try to make sense of this sudden burst of art. Today, the first signs of littering are already beginning to show, some pieces showing signs of vandalism even as the Jaaga team tries to keep one step ahead of the wanton litterers.
Thousands of commuters pass through M.G. Road everyday, barely giving the 21-ft structure that stands imposingly outside the Bible Society of India, as second glance. This sculpture was made over 10 years ago by Yusuf Arakkal, one of the country’s most celebrated artists. But a few years ago, Arakkal was forced to alert local authorities after his sculpture had turned into a mini-dumping ground for all manner of garbage.
SG Vasudev, another renowned artist, installed a glass mural outside the Santosh Theatre in Majestic. After the initial fanfare, it was quickly forgotten and is in need of a long overdue sprucing up. Art in public spaces have been around for a long time, but as it makes something of a comeback, the city must come alive to its value as the centre-piece of a public space, a square or a park, and refrain from adorning it with banana peels, discarded coffee cups and other forms of vandalism.
The city’s artists are far more forgiving of these transgressions. “There are a few artistic posters on the Richmond Road Flyover, but we’re not too worried, because the installations and the paintings have remained untouched for nearly a year,” said Archana Prasad, founder, Jaaga.
“People are curious, not disrespectful. It has a lot to do with the artist trying to understand his audience. In India, you have to allow for a cow to relieve itself on your installation, for kids to come and play around it. That’s the best part of working here, really!”
It simply boils down to awareness, said artist Yusuf Arakkal. “Nobody tries to destroy a work of art, but they do dump garbage around it or forget that it’s there. The media needs to highlight it's importance, children need to be aware of just how much art is worth. We don’t have that inherent respect for art here, even if our religions celebrate it. People need awareness most of all.”
