BENGALURU: If you pass by Kasturba Road regularly, you will soon be greeted with a different sight -- a colourful mural depicting some of the familiar images of the city. As an endeavour to support struggling artists, Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) has commissioned the Aravani Art Project -- an art collective run by women and transwomen – to paint the shuttering of its under-construction building. The theme for this project is ‘The Story of Bangalore’.
MAP director Kamini Sawhney says while the centre has always promoted arts and artists, this mural is their way of playing tribute to the city’s spirit of survival. “During this pandemic, people have struggled with hardship and isolation. The commissioning of the mural is MAP’s way of saluting the several communities that make up this vibrant city, and their spirit of survival despite the havoc the virus has wreaked,” she says, adding, “The mural created by the Aravani Art Project brings a touch of brightness to the MAP building site and is a reminder that we remain committed to each other and the city for a better tomorrow.” The MAP building was scheduled to open by the end of this year, but has seen a massive delay in plans due to the pandemic. Now the committee members are hopeful that the construction will be finished next year.
Among the highlights of the city that you can spot in the mural are the Karnataka High Court building, BMTC buses, and bougainvilleas. Talking about the decision to bring in bougainvilleas in the artwork, muralist Poornima Sukumar, who is spearheading the project, says, “To me, bougainvillea is a flower that you will find in plenty all over the city, and yet, it is easily forgettable.”
The project took 10 days to reach completion. “It was accomplished by 13 people from the trust, 10 transwomen, and three cis-women,” says Sukumar, while also stressing on how the pandemic has been tough on everybody, and Aravani members have been no exception. However, Sukumar adds that they were able to find a way to sustain it. “The coronavirus outbreak has been stressful for us more mentally than financially. Since we didn’t have outdoor space to paint murals, due to the lockdown, we moved to canvas painting. And thankfully, we could find takers for it,” says Sukumar, who has been part of the trust since 2015.