St+art India Foundation with the support of Asian Paints Unveiled a Thought Provoking Installation in Hyderabad
~Presented in association with India Design Forum, artist
Daku’s installation ‘Why’ on the rampant pollution caused by single use
plastics~
~The installation is in the form of a giant question mark (‘?’) placed in
the Hussain Sagar lake and be open for public viewing for a period of 1 month~
Tuesday 15th
October 2019- St+art India Foundation, supported by Asian Paints in collaboration with Government of Telangana and India Design
Forum,
has brought to Hyderabad an unprecedented Urban Art Installation as part of World
Design Assembly 2019.
Studies
estimate there are now 150 million metric tons of plastics in the world's
oceans, adversely affecting our marine ecosystem. Plastic-dumping is choking
our oceans and governments across nations have begun to take measures to curb
the growing menace of plastic pollution.
Engaging with
this rapidly growing problem, street artist Daku’s installation ‘Why’ at
the Hussain Sagar Lake is a colossal Question Mark (‘?’) created by using
3,00,000 recycled plastic bottles. The installation also produces its own
energy through solar-power. Conceptualized by Daku and produced by St+art
India and supported by Asian Paints in association with Showboat Production, Hyderabad, this
project is commissioned by Government
of Telangana and India Design Forum. The
installation will be placed on the surface of the lake for a period of one
month.
Stressing on
the importance of art to create wide-scale impact, Ms. Giulia Ambrogi, co-founder
and curator, St+art India Foundation, said, “Since 2016, when we
started our work in Hyderabad, specifically in Maqtha, we have looked at the
Hussain Sagar lake as a location brimming with meanings. Daku's idea started
taking shape back then and is now relevant more than ever. Public art plays a
fundamental role in spreading socially relevant messages in a strong, direct
and understandable manner and urban art interventions like this installation
are crucial to create awareness and start building sensitivity for a more
sustainable future. We are immensely glad that the dream of creating such a
powerful installation has come through on the occasion of the Hyderabad Design
Week, thanks to the support of the government and other partners.”
Daku’s works
are recognized for establishing site-specific dialogues with the spaces he
works within. Executed in the form of public art interventions, they engage
with contemporary and complex topics, affecting their spectators with simple
yet incisive commentaries.
In the same
spirit, Daku’s Question Mark aims to raise questions within the viewers - what
can citizens do? What can governments and corporations do? Where do we go from
here? What is the alternative? These questions are posed to citizens, tourists,
civic bodies and corporations alike, in the hope of a solution. It provokes us
to take note of the growing number of problems associated with single use
plastics and encourages onlookers to self-reflect and start looking for
alternatives.
Artist Daku
had this to say about the installation: “As an artist,
this is my contribution towards changing perceptions about the use of plastic, which
is one of the biggest questions today. I hope this installation will help raise
more questions in people's mind. This is my take on plastic against plastic.”
Exploring the
use of public space as a tool for social messaging and impact, the installation
seeks to initiate conversation around a rapidly escalating global problem.
Through its scale and magnitude, along with the prominence of its location, it
is sure to catch the attention of the city and bring to light a prevailing
issue of our times. Making use of solar-powered lights, the ‘?’ will be lit
through the night, making it accessible throughout the day.
Acknowledging
the efforts made in lieu of the installation, Sri KT Rama Rao, Minister of MA&UA, Industries and IT&C in
Telangana, tweeted: “As a part of #HyderabadDesignWeek, @streetartindia
artist @daku156 has constructed an installation in the shape of a question mark
with 3 lakh upcycled plastic bottles questioning the use of single use plastic
in the current ecological climate. My compliments to the ST+ART team.”
Special
thanks to fundamental partners such as Asian
Paints who have been constantly with St+art all across the country to
create socially relevant public art projects. To Art@Telangana and Krishnakriti
Foundation who have been key partners and collaborators across the years within
all the projects curated by St+art India Foundation in Hyderabad. To Banyan Nation for the kind support
in sourcing 3 Lakhs recycled plastic bottles.
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