St+art India and Asian Paints launch Mumbai Urban Art Festival (MUAF)

National, (DATE): St+art India Foundation and Asian Paints come together to launch the 3-month long Mumbai Urban Art Festival (MUAF). MUAF will take on a city scale endeavour which will include landmark murals, experiential exhibitions, immersive installations and public programming across key venues. 

Since 2014, St+art India and Asian Paints have collaborated to make art accessible to diverse audiences while contributing to urban regeneration and the cultural landscape at large. This has included areas such as Mahim East, Sassoon Dock, and Bandra, as well as iconic sites such as Churchgate Station and Jindal Mansion. 

MUAF therefore continues to engage with Mumbai through a long-standing effort of contributing to the contemporary public art heritage. Every two years, the festival will bring together a plethora of artists and diverse practitioners to create interdisciplinary projects.

MUAF will explore different areas of the city, in an attempt to offer opportunities of rediscovering lesser-known paths and forgotten narratives. From the suburbs to the center, and from marginalized neighbourhoods to heritage locations, the aim of MUAF is to look at the city as an interconnected organism where inclusivity through creativity becomes a foundation for action in the public realm. 

The first edition of the festival will traverse the idea of “city in flux”, where the city, like water, is porous, regenerating, and fluid. A city of contrasts and coexistence where there is always room for imagination, beauty, darkness and most of all – complexities. A maximum city, which continues to embody versatility and mobility in its character of being a port city, where every inch of space and engagement is often seemingly transactional. 

Encouraging the public to engage and experience the art, MUAF brings together a wide range of audiences in unexpected spots thanks to the work of over 60 local and international artists. 

MUAF - THE PROJECTS 

Sassoon Dock Art Project 

After a successful run in 2017, St+art and Asian Paints are delighted to return to one of the oldest docks of Mumbai to collaborate again with MbPA, this time on the special occasion of its 150 years anniversary. 

In the spirit of celebration, reimagination, and development, Sassoon Dock will become an art hub open to all, in the heart of South Mumbai.

Permanent outdoor murals will enrich this hyper characteristic site while leading to the 3 indoor experiential exhibitions. Large scale site-specific installations, new media, and light based works will immerse the viewer in reflections between the sea and the city. Over the weekends, a host of workshops, talks, art walks, performances, concerts, dance events, kids activities and more will activate Sassoon Docks. 

Mr. Rajiv Jalota, IAS, Chairman, Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA), says, “Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) is pleased to be a part of the art exhibition at Sassoon Dock, which is one of the oldest docks from where cotton trade evolved and this dock subsequently became a fishing harbour. MbPA has always been supportive of such initiatives and believes that art

sensitises the communities for better appreciation and understanding of the subject, and also brings dif erent segments of our society to a common platform. After the successful Sassoon Dock Art Project 1.0, we look forward to celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Mumbai Port on a grand artistic scale by collaborating with St+art India Foundation. The port has been a standing testimony of Mumbai's evolution and this art initiative is a step further in this direction.” 

In a pursuit to make the event sustainable, special attention will be given to accessibility, urban tactical interventions, and community based projects, while reflecting and utilising materials which are sustainable or recyclable and working along both, the local and creative communities towards a common goal. 

Sassoon Dock Art Project Part 1 - Intuitions. Between the sea and the city 22.12.22 - 22.2.23 

Spanning diverse geographies, the exhibition aims to pose questions about our complex relationship with the environment, more specifically with water and the expanding hypercity. 

Sassoon Dock Art Project Part 2- Illusions. Between the sea and the city 12.01.22 - 22.2.23 

In a path from darkness to light, this venue will reflect on some of the complexities of our transactional reality, by proposing alternative, fluid, and expansive views. 

The AP Art House 

14.1.23 - 5.2.23 

The Art House will consider what a ‘home’ can be, if inspired by creative living and modular design. 

Mahim (E) Art District 

1.2.23 - 22.2.23 

Ongoing since 2014, the District lies at the intersection of Mahim Station and Dharavi and features 20 murals by local and international artists. This year will see the addition of 3 large scale murals, urban tactical interventions such as edible gardens, multipurpose seating, sport courts, and more. 

Workshops and participative artworks will engage the community, making it an integral part of the festival. 

The Bandra Project 

22.1.23 - 22.2.23 

Two temporary installations, a permanent artwork over the popular Carter Road Skatepark and a tailored walk & talk, will include the historical and hip neighbourhood of Bandra in the festival’s map. 

Landmark Murals 

Hyperlocal narratives focused on ecological and historical narratives will be painted on large facades in visible and nodal spots of the city. Amidst the concrete and glass jungle, these interventions will engage the public’s imagination and create value for the city at large.

Temporary Installation 

22.12.22 - 22.2.23 

An unexpected spectacle will pop up in several areas across the city. Stay tuned! 

Light Night Colaba 

12.1.23 - 15.1.23 

A spectacular installation at Apollo Bunder and light based artworks and performances at the Sassoon Dock will light up Colaba during the Mumbai Gallery Weekend. 

Programming 

22.12.22 - 22.02.2023 

Every weekend, the Sassoon Art Project will feature an array of performances, talks, artist interactions, walking tours, workshops and more. 

Team from St+art India Foundation, says, “We will explore dif erent areas of the city, in an attempt to of er opportunities to rediscover lesser-known paths and forgotten narratives. We encourage everyone to immerse themselves in the endless potential of urban art. Our aim is to create an unmissable appointment that will put Mumbai on the global map of leading urban art. Team St+Art looks forward to creating public art in Mumbai, every two years, to embed it in everyday life as a critical element for the growth of our society at large and value for our cities.” 

Mr. Amit Syngle, Managing Director & CEO, Asian Paints Ltd., says, “Asian Paints and St+Art India Foundation have been driving this collective vision of democratizing art for almost a decade now. We are truly proud of the 6 art districts and over 400+ murals that have been meaningfully created. This year, we are excited to bring to you our most formidable project. We have the biggest intervention with Mumbai Urban Art Festival which is going to accentuate the city's art and culture via murals, art installations, experiential exhibitions and the Asian Paints Art House at Sassoon. I can assure you; MUAF is going to be grand - something Mumbai has never seen before.”