'Designing for a public space in India goes beyond the aesthetics into multitude of other issues right from functions, economics, sustainability, maintenance, vandalism, and the list could be endless. Being a developing country we are always grappling with infrastructural issues but at the same time for the cultural growth of the country an equal respect needs to be given to art and aesthetics and more so in the public realm, not just in the art galleries where it can be admired by a selected few. Hence it becomes imperative to derive a language of art where the aesthetics seamlessly merge with functionality in every project right from infrastructural to public spaces. So does it mean that a public art/installation in India is always connected to these issues? Does it mean there can be no art installation without any function attached to it? The need for every art installation doesn’t have to come from fulfilling a function yet, every installation must raise certain issues at a public platform. It should not be just a decoration adorning public parks or a feature that itself consumes enormous amounts of energy and resources for its maintenance. A public art installation in India therefore means something that culturally defines itself, understands the demographics and yet stands without much effort in maintenance against all vandalism. One such installation was put up by M:OFA studios, an award winning architectural firm in New Delhi where more than 1200 wasted shipping pallets were used to represent the nostalgic delhi. In the designer’s words "An experiential pavilion designed by M:OFA Studios Pvt Ltd, is based on the idea of the "fluid" thoughts that generated in our heads when we were kids in the 80-90s. The space is inspired from the hundreds of ruins that dot Delhi, where those incomplete broken stone walls with the overgrowth of years led us kids to play our imaginary games, where we spent hours playing outside...those impromptu picnics and immersed ourselves playing in the sand building our castles of creativity in our heads. Each day, each stroke creating something different with the same sets of ingredients. This pavilion is a reminder of those simpler times, where the kids looked at the world beyond a 4 inch by 3 inch display screen in their hands."
Its not even just a problem solver and its definitely not a pretty picture to be adorned in a magazine. It is indeed, a state of mind that syncs everything around itself with a fresh breath of life…an infinite pool of energy full of life and a level where the human soul elevates from the mundane…just like looking at a vangogh or immersing oneself into a Beethoven. Design is life itself.
Design Team: Manish Gulati, Abhishek Sorampuri, Ritika Kapoor
