KOCHI : Winds of change are a constant in Kochi. And the city ‘vibe’, as they call it, remains transient.
One ‘vibe’ that’s welcome, and here to stay is the splash of colours and creativity on the street walls. Be it Marine Drive, MG Road or Fort Kochi, the city’s walls in public spaces are undergoing a pleasant transformation. Graffiti.
Double benefit. One, they discourage people from dirtying the place. Two, they make the city look good, vibrant.
Many of these walls were beautified under the programme ‘Revive Kochi’, a joint initiative of Kochi-based NGO KITES Foundation and Thiruvananthauram-based charitable trust Sai Gramam, in collaboration with the city corporation and Suchitwa Mission.
“The plan emerged after the Brahmapuram fire in March last year,” says Ameersha R S, state coordinator of Suchitwa Mission.
“We clean up many places, provide bins, along with painting messages on the wall. Generally, people would hesitate to dump waste at a place once there is some artwork.”
Manasa T K, a student of Maharaja’s College, is one of the coordinators of the Revive Kochi programme. “We are now working on a wall near the Ernakulam Junction railway station. Such walls are turning selfie points.”
City-based artists also chip in. Sanjay Kumar, who runs Dhruva Art Academy in Fort Kochi, has been painting walls with his students since last year. “Initially, we worked only in Fort Kochi. Now, we are turning other spots too into art spaces,” he says.
Why not make Metro pillars art spaces?
“The murals created in Tripunithura Metro station have been much appreciated,” says KMRL MD Loknath Behera. “We are planning to promote such art in many spots near the highways. However, in many city areas, we have provided space for ads, which generate revenue. So, we might not be able to give up such spaces for artworks.”