NEW DELHI: As part of its Pride Month 2025 celebration, the Instituto Cervantes in Delhi unveiled a collaborative mural created by the Aravani Art Project, in partnership with the Naz Foundation. The event was marked by a panel discussion with artists and community leaders, foregrounding the intersections of art, activism, and state engagement in trans-led cultural work.
The mural unveiled at the institute is part of Mes del Orgullo ‘Pride Month’, an initiative supported by the Spanish Cooperation, The Queer Muslim Project, and Naz Foundation. Alongside the mural, the evening featured a panel and DJ set by queer Muslim artist BB Nabi.
The panel, moderated by Sahil Choudhary, Program Director at the New Delhi LGBTQIA+ Centre of Naz Foundation, featured Aravani Project members Kanchana, Vinni, and Poornima Sukumar, the founder of the trans-led collective.
The Aravani Art Project, a collective of trans and gender-diverse artists, has become known for transforming public spaces across India and abroad, from Bengaluru underpasses to Mumbai’s civic walls, and even Bangkok Airport. “What has been interesting is that the government has approached us for these projects,” one of the speakers shared.
“This is not just about colour on walls,” Sukumar said during the panel. “It’s about telling stories that aren’t usually heard in elite cultural spaces... Because art gives us something we’re often denied – space.”