You see them on our jaunts across the city, stuck in Mumbai's mind-numbing traffic that's all you have to look at. We want your help to map these, and form a database of the public art in your city.
Our ever growing city conceals little treasures, celebrated in roundabouts, forgotten in traffic islands, familiar in neighbourhoods but unrecognisable in passing. These works of art were commissioned, bid upon, coveted, designed, approved, created, lauded, reviled, and then sadly sometimes forgotten or worse lost.
What began as fun #AWMprompts soon grew into a wave of realisation that these works once inaugurated are left to deal with the elements, recognised and noticed perhaps by only those who live or travel by it. We wanted to draw attention and create a database of sorts for public art beginning in Mumbai and then reaching out to other cities. We believe in the power of crowdsourcing, building an archive aided by google images and smartphones.
The Public Art Map is one of our babies (we have 5 and counting between the two of us) that we’re building up to share with the world. From scary baby heads, red tetrapods, silenced girls, and confusing “modern” bits, we also look at inspiring charkas, murals, and even an octopus. Some might no longer exist except in memory and image searches, but travelling through this markers you discover new aspects of this confounding city.
We invite you to contribute, edit and comment on the entries in the map. Begin with those in your immediate vicinity or those that have made a lasting impression on you. If you wish to start a new city let us know. The submission form is available on the Public Art Map page. As always, stay safe and go see art!
Artfully
Alisha & Nishita