Chennai

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Art Districts

Kannagi Art District

Kannagi Nagar, Chennai

2020

Located off the Old Mahabalipuram Road in Chennai, Kannagi Nagar is one of the biggest resettlement sites in India. Made of multi-storied apartments, it houses a population of 94,000, living in 24000+ households. The residents include people rehabilitated from 3 of the city’s river bed slums, who were most affected by the 2004 tsunami that devastated their houses.

Over the years, increased crime and unemployment have lent a negative image to the neighbourhood, despite it being a vibrant area with community living at its core. With the aim of bringing culture and positivity, creating an area of interest for the city and therefore possibly changing the negative perception of the neighbourhood, St+art in collaboration with Asian Paints, Chennai Smart City Limited, Tamilnadu Urban Habitat Development Board and the Greater Chennai Corporation began the creation of Kannagi Art District.

For over two months 16 artists from Chennai, India and abroad created murals responding to the theme of ‘People and Environment’ and a wide spectrum of community activities engaged the inhabitants in the project.

Over the course of 45 days, the artists responded to the unique context of the site, creating murals around the main theme of the curation - displacement, migration, and movement. It was the chosen theme for the district as a large umbrella to investigate our relationship with the environment. The community of Kannagi, largely fisherfolks, has been dramatically affected by the consequences of climate change. Being strictly dependent on natural resources for their livelihood, the tsunami pushed them away from it. Whereas they know from practice how nature works and how more powerful than humans it is, the awareness towards climate change, pollution (especially of water) is very limited. This project aimed therefore at stimulating awareness through storytelling and allowed artists to connect with the people of Kannagi in specific and diverse ways, and respond to the context and question pertinent topics like sustainability and community living while reflecting on global urgencies.

The art district thus represents ideas that link people and the environment.

Kashmira Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2020 Pranav Gohil 18
Kashmira Sarode -Harbouring Hope. Migration and displacement are the main themes behind this mural. A dedication to the people who moved from the coast to Kannagi Nagar after the Chennai Tsunami of 2004. The mural depicts a mother and daughter who are seen amidst waves of water, alluding to the displacement which a lot of families faced during the Tsunami of 2004. Yet the duo are also shown surrounded by ‘Irises’ - considered to be the flower of hope, to symbolise the strength and resilience of the people affected by the displacement. The depiction of birds reinforces the idea of movement and finding a home in a new place since they are known to be migratory creatures while the bottom half shows the water with fluttering fish referring to the Tsunami.
A-Kill- Sisters. The mural is dedicated to the core spirit of Kannagi Nagar, which A-Kill thought was epitomized by its young residents – smiling, playful and ever so inquisitive. Made in the artist’s characteristic hyper-realistic portraiture style, the mural has been adapted from an image A-Kill took of two smiling sisters. The decision to put the two smiling sisters on a huge scale – with the mural being visible from miles away, was a conscious artistic choice so as to greet visitors and inhabitants of the area with their warm and welcoming smiles.
Osheen Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2020 Pranav Gohil 21
Osheen Siva - “காப்பாளர் & வழங்குநர்” (Protectors & Providers). This mural is Siva’s homage to the dual role women play in the running of an economy – both as providers and protectors of households and society. Drawing inspiration from the livelihoods of women in the fisherfolk communities of the city, the piece depicts a strong lady character wearing a traditional Saree in the center, holding a bowl of water encapsulating an entire universe within. Using local motifs, the artist has also left subtle cues in the artwork which draw influence from the local fisherman traditions - the ‘Kolam’ patterns as tattoos on the arms of her central subject, the Olive Ridley Turtle inspired earrings, the lush coconut tree block print on her saree, as well as her Marina coral inspired headgear.
David Leitner - Untitled. This artwork seeks to draw attention to the crisis of water shortage (and climate change) that has gripped not only Chennai but is a rising concern all over the world. By showing a family in transit on the right side of the mural – mid-move amidst a drought, the artist reflects on the inevitability of large-scale migration should a situation so drastic must arise. On the left side, David has created the portrait of a Tamil woman, who with joint hands can be inferred to be praying, symbolizing hope for a still habitable future. The arrangement of pots in the left bottom corner – with some pots filled, some empty and some overflowing into the others is also a reflection on the artist’s part of the multiple avenues for sharing and cathartic exchange that open up in trying times.
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Joyston Vaz -The Game. Made on a base that’s inspired by all the colours there are in an oil-spill, Joyston’s mural features a maze which has been detailed with a large number of elements from the underwater world. The artist’s decision to engage with the topic of water, oceans and all that they entail in a complex and multi-layered mural is his way of paying homage to the livelihood of fishing, and fisherfolk – whose journeys on the sea are oftentimes tumultuous. Additionally, Joyston has used a cyberpunk colour scheme to give his piece a futuristic look, hoping to encourage the kids in the area to take away the idea of endless future possibilities from the wall.
Sanskar Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2020 Pranav Gohil 2
Sanskar Sawant- ‘மாலை’ (Maalai). Dedicated to Chennai, its people and its gorgeous skies, his mural is titled ‘மாலை’ (Maalai/evening) and celebrates all the different aspects of Chennai that make the city unique. Both the ‘Goli Soda’ - a popular local beverage, and a hand-drawn ‘Kolam’ pattern - usually found outside homes throughout the city find references in the mural. Sawant has also used motifs and patterns from clothing worn by women as part of the mural and paid tribute to a local game similar to Ludo which is played in Kannagi Nagar. The visual aesthetic of the piece and its collage-like layering is inspired by walls as observed in the city – as significant carriers of social-political messaging and numerous stories simultaneously.
Epoc Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2020 Pranav Gohil 1
Epoc -Untitled. A sacred sound and a spiritual symbol in several Indian religions, the syllable (and onomatopoeia, interchangeably) ‘Om’ is regularly chanted as a mantra by practitioners throughout the subcontinent. Epoc’s piece was also created using a mantra-like approach - breaking down elements and repeating them - arriving at an approach which in addition to the subject matter was also meditative. He has also added streaks of pink to evoke a sense of movement in the piece - as experienced in meditation as well as while listening to music that encourages reflection.
1stroke Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2020 Pranav Gohil 3
One Stroke -The Dark Side of White Salt. In this piece, One Stroke highlights the profession of salt farming and pays an ode to its custodians – salt farmers. The mural is made from an image taken by young photographer Ranga Prasad, centrally featuring a salt miner working at a salt pan in Marakkanam – a coastal panchayat town near Chennai and one of the largest salt producing regions in Tamil Nadu. It’s a celebration of India’s unsung heroes who often toil for the county in harsh weather conditions without access to many protective equipments. One Stroke created the piece in a monochrome colour palette to highlight the hardships that often accompany salt farming including hard physical labour and constant exposure to harsh sun, while his technique of hyper realism seeks to centralise the salt farmer as the backbone of the state’s economy and its numerous communities.
SS 108- ‘சவாரி’ (Cavāri/Ride). Made using the same technique of pointillism, this piece is a satirical take on the phenomenon of Artificial Intelligence - which seems to be gaining entry in all quarters of human life, and the notion of ‘autopilot’. As work cultures the world over become more stressful and AI slowly permeates into many aspects of our daily lives, we are left with little time to reflect on our actions. All of us, for the lack of a viable alternative, seem to be on autopilot. In a clever flipping of the phrase ‘running around like a headless chicken’, SS has placed a chicken on the top of a human head – seen riding with reigns and in charge of the situation. Eggs with wings can also be seen flying on the sides. As our lives become more frenzied, we are often forced to act not so consciously and the artwork criticises the same mindlessness using satire.
Aravani Art Project Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2020 Pranav Gohil 1
Aravani Art Project -Forever Womanhood. Created with the transwomen community from Chennai, ‘Forever Womanhood’ is a celebration of female friendships at large and the bonds women in Kannagi Nagar share with each other. The depiction of six women sitting in a circle is inspired by groups of women in the area who often come out in the evenings to sit together – playing games as they discuss their day. As all of them sit together in close proximity, each of them can be seen doing something different. Through a depiction of women in public spaces, the mural makes a larger enquiry about who gets to occupy public spaces at all, and at what cost. The piece is an ode to a female solidarity that’s based on interdependence and one that empowers. It’s both a celebration of co-existence and relationships that sustain us.
Bronte Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2020 Pranav Gohil 24
Bronte Naylor-The Exchange. Her mural in Kannagi Nagar titled ‘The Exchange’ is a celebration of the vast number of opportunities for face-to-face interactions that markets in India offer, as they simultaneously host countless avenues for community-building. Made in her signature collage style, the mural has been adapted from an image Naylor took at the Koyambedu Flower Market, featuring two central characters - a vendor who is seen preparing his wares for business while another person sits on a cart used to transport, carry and sell flowers. Her subjects have been left faceless to encourage reflection on their unassuming postures, while the visible gap between them is the outcome of an artistic choice - to signify a space left open for exchange - of ideas and transactions, and more room for the building of additional interpersonal relationships.
Art Lab Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2020 Pranav Gohil 3
Art Lab -இனிது ‘இனிது’ (Happy/Sweet). An ode to the spirited folks of Kannagi Nagar, who stood strong and unyielding through the rogue waves. Its central character – the seemingly blessed-out old man, symbolises the determination and perseverance of Kannagi’s residents and celebrates their ability to keep marching ahead towards a better tomorrow with infectious warmth and positivity, without letting the past bog them down. Additionally, the Crew has used a base of flowers to frame the piece, reminding us of the beauty and fragility of life, as flowers continue to be symbols of hope, freshness and happiness. Reflectively, the ones included in the backdrop are also the ones most commonly sold in Chennai including Malli (jasmine), Saamandhi (chrysanthemum) and roses.
Do Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2020 Pranav Gohil 4
Do -Today. In a similar spirit, ‘Today’ is the artist’s ode to the neighbourhood of Kannagi Nagar and more importantly, its residents – a community of people that has shown itself to know the value of celebrating the little moments in life and one that according to the artist embodies the universal maxim of ‘live each day to the fullest’. Encapsulating life on an ordinary day in the area, the mural features people extending tall, metaphorically alluding to them as the pride of the neighbourhood. Additionally, Do has played with perspective and scale in the piece to manipulate its depth, creating a seemingly never-ending maze of people. While on the one hand, the piece’s various characters represent the diversity of the neighborhood's community, their maze-like appearance also symbolically echoes the geography of the locality - an area made up of more than 24000 tenements!
Antonyo Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2020 Pranav Gohil 12
Antonyo Marest -The New Door. Similarly characterised by bright colours and vibrant geometric patterns, this piece has been created as a ‘new door’, depicting the artist’s colourful wish for the community of Kannagi Nagar to live a better and bright future. Using a vibrant assortment of gradients, and marked with the word ‘Allegra’, which translates to ‘joyful’ in English, ‘The New Door’ is the artist’s attempt to spread positive vibes in the neighbourhood. Patterns of fish, palm trees and anchors, made using the technique of stencilling also adorn the piece as a celebration of one of Chennai’s most recognisable features as a city -- popular both as a coastal region and for its marine economy.
Ben Johnston Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2020 Pranav Gohil 3
Ben Johnston- ‘கூடு’ (The Nest).Made in collaboration with Chennai-based typography artist Shiva Nallaperumal, is Ben’s reflection on the idea of ‘home’ - dedicated to the people of Kannagi Nagar who have been rehabilitated to the area from various parts of the city. With his piece, Ben hoped to inspire a sense of pride in the residents of Kannagi around their home – their neighbourhood. Writing the word in a distinct Tamil typeface – in white, against a bright blue background, Johnston also took measures to make it stand out and visible from afar, adding shadow-work to the piece alongside rendering it with 3D effects.
Kartikeya Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2021 Pranav Gohil 1
Kartikey Sharma -Despite all odds. An oyster is sitting on a notebook that has opened up and has disintegrated into a multiplicity of pieces. This fragmentation imposes on the piece a sense of chaos and yet the structural quality of the composition brings back a sense of order. The play with the architecture with its hollows and volumes in fact establishes a firmness to the piece beyond this multiplicity. In a symbolic way, the artist has shown here the story of Kannagi where the diversity of its inhabitants all coming from different areas of the city and with different backgrounds, is resolved in a strong sense of connection to this new settlement. It is the representation of how from chaos even a pearl - such a precious thing - can come out. Also, the plant is another metaphor for this concept that reflects on how life in general works. Furthermore, how life even with its shadows is always stronger than anything so is the plant, fragile and yet present also within a concrete wall. "Despite all odds" thus becomes a reminder of how new stories always grow in mysterious ways despite the most dramatic reasons that could be behind them.
Yessiow Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2021 Pranav Gohil 16
Yessiow- Bloom. A young emerging artist from Indonesia. From being a graphic designer she started getting passionate about street art. At the beginning, she was playing around with photoshop and superimposing her works on walls she was liking. Later on, she decided to try and really paint a wall. This is the largest she has ever painted as previously she has painted solely walls reachable by a ladder If at all! She has been travelling since 2018, and this is the third time she came to India. This time she has stayed for almost a year because of covid-19, and India is the only place she has lived in for a long time during her travel journey. Mostly she has traveled in north India, and a couple of months ago she has reached the south to explore more of the rich culture India has to offer. With this work, she wants to put out a message of deep love for India and celebrating the aspects she is feeling the most exceptional. Thus, she celebrates in this mural the kindness of local people in India while adding local elements such as corals and algae but also flowers to resonate with the Kannagi demographic - largely fisherfolk - and also with the general theme of the art district - People & Environment.

No doubt there are still many negative views out there about India to visit, but for me, India is one of my favorite places. Not only because of the so many beautiful sceneries but above all, the love and the kindness of people. I met amazing friends and local residents who had extraordinary hospitality. From north to south, the hospitality of the Indian people cannot be denied. The experience I got in India is sooooo much!

- Yessiow
Daku Reveals Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2021 Pranav Gohil 1 SQ
DAKU -Untitled. Artist Daku’s mural in Kannagi Nagar is a call to address the water crisis that has gripped Chennai as well as the rest of the country. On 19 June 2019, Chennai city officials declared "Day Zero", indicating that the water in the city had depleted, as the four main reservoirs supplying water had run dry. Twenty-one cities in India will run out of groundwater by 2020, affecting around 100 million people, claims a report by NITI Ayog. The report also says that 40 per cent of India's population will have no access to drinking water by 2030. Daku’s mural in Kannagi Art District appears like a problem, mimicking the crisis itself and appearing only as the sun goes up to reveal the ramifications of this water shortage. The wait for the image acts as a metaphor for the wait for the water in the city, but also for time itself - reappearing year after year.

Community Engagement

St+art always engages with territories in dynamic formats to create intimate interactions across different sectors of society through art. One of the most important tools to achieve this is through community engagement programs with locals. This component aids in creating unique activities with communities, which prove that art can be a mobiliser in social change within neighbourhoods such as Kannagi.

During St+art Chennai 2020, Kannagi Art District became a platform for several creatives from the city to tailor creative activities that would read and relate to the needs of the community. This was the very first effort in Kannagi that used art as a tool for education, upliftment and empowerment; all of which evoked a sense of togetherness and belongingness within the neighbourhood.

ARTIST-LED WORKSHOPS

Artist-led workshops are a creative exchange between the artist and the community. This interactive session gives a peek into street art techniques inclusive of muralism, colour theory, stencils and so forth, allowing both kids and adults to experiment with this unique form of expression. This further brings the community closer to the project, encouraging them to relate and take pride in the transformation of their neighbourhood.

While at the same time, this crucial interaction allows the artist to have intimate interactions with locals. The workshops usually complement their practice or art form, challenging them to adapt it to the local context and/or the city. Many times, this interaction also assists the artist to use direct engagement as a form of inspiration for their mural in the neighbourhood.

Australian artist Bronte Naylor sketched an abstract mural inspired by the different games played by the students of the club. The children were invited to paint inside the shapes and also add in small details that they thought worked the best within the composition. Several passerby kids joined while going home from their schools and got the very first chance in Kannagi Nagar to work on a mural together.
Bronto
Sign painting is a neglected craft in India. St+art prides putting attention to this craft through collaborative street art projects. Taking this motto forward, Ben Johnston facilitated a workshop with local painter Raghu for kids from Oasis Foundation, Together, they decided to paint the word "NAMB', which means 'friendship' with the kids. With several people constantly moving in and out of Kannagi the community lacks 'trust' and 'security' amongst each other. This word was chosen to strengthen the existing bonds within the community.
St+art team located an unfinished construction site, commonly used by the community to dry their clothes and gather in the evenings. After choosing a colour coding system for the columns, artist Antonyo with his team invited the people from the streets and the building around to come colour code the columns. As a perfect example of street art bringing neglected alive with colours, now this site has transformed into a 'vibrant gathering point.
Local artist Joyston Vaz gave an introduction to warm and cool colours to students from the Hope Foundation. With worksheets, where the students could be introduced to mixing the shades, Joyston conducted a one on one interaction with students. The students got a chance to create a small mural that showed the transition of warm colours to cool colours on a wall inside the school.
Aravani Art Project's theme for Chennai project was 'Forever Womanhood'. Keeping this in mind, they conducted a spontaneous collage making workshop with the kids of Kannagi. All kids were divided into groups and they were told to make a portrait of "the woman who inspires them the most'. Most kids choose their immediate family members, mothers, sisters and aunts. The kids got to take the outcome of this activity back home - as a hopeful memory of the fact that Kannagi Streets were becoming passageways of dialogues and interactions.

TOURS

Curated tours are a vital component of the St+art festivals, during which the community and the city get to interact with the artists as they work, get insights into the murals and the project at large. This creates an intimate space for exchange, education and also awareness about the several issues the artists tackle with their murals.

In Kannagi, St+art observed the rare opportunity to directly exchange with the kids through schools, tuition centres and NGOs. This gave the kids an opportunity to learn and understand the stories about the murals, as the adults and parents joined to listen as well. These tours were conducted as part of the artist-led workshops, wherein the kids would first learn about the murals and then get an experience in the imaginative world of art.

Walk with Turning Point Tuition Centre
Walk with MCDS Centre kids

LOCAL PARTNERS

St+art collaborated with several cultural organisations across Chennai to mobilise a participative, creative and educational engagement with the people of Kannagi.

This collaboration is aimed at bringing forth diverse expertise in the field of community engagement to maximise the outreach in one of India’s largest slums while cementing a strong local network amongst professionals in the sector.

Through it, an inclusive methodology came up and established an intimate exchange between Kannagi and the city, wherein Kannagi retold its story and reclaimed its course. Also, it offered a platform for kids and adults alike to express themselves, reducing the social disparities through art.

KANNAGI PHOTO CAMP BY CHENNAI PHOTO BIENNALE

CPB Photo camps is the education wing of the Chennai Photo Biennale (CPB) Foundation. The CPB Foundation is engaged in promoting photographic art, meaningful socio-cultural discussion and educational activities.

At the Kannagi Photo Camp, the kids were given lessons in the basics of digital photography. While at the same time, they were introduced to the world of storytelling. With goats, people, street vendors, this narrative encapsulates ‘Everyday Kannagi’ through the eyes of the young.

Chennai Photo Biennale workshop

KANNAGI NAGARIN KANNGAL BY MADRAS INHERITED

Kannagi Nagarin Kanngal is an initiative that aimed to document and celebrate the area whilst creating a story-telling of the neighbourhood from the eyes of the community in order to create a larger understanding than the general stereotype.

The aim was to collect information from the bottom-up, thereby creating a people-centric perspective of the locality, through worksheets specially designed keeping in mind themes like the perception of the neighbourhood, lost opportunities and resilient communities.

The data collected from students and adults of the community was displayed in the form of panels which was superimposed with the spatial planning of Kannagi Nagar in order to represent the community in totality. These panels curated a story-telling of the area which is aimed at creating awareness for the rest of the city towards the realities of the area to facilitate a larger conversation about Kannagi’s people, problems and living conditions.

Kannagi Nagarin by Madras Inherited

KANNAGI POSTCARD PROJECT BY URBAN DESIGN COLLECTIVE

The Neighbourhood Postcard Project collects personal positive stories from underrepresented communities and mails them to people in different neighbourhoods within the same city to catalyse connections between people and neighbourhoods.

The postcards for the Kannagi Nagar Postcard Project document the games played by the children of Kannagi Nagar. The idea behind the postcard design was to capture the collective identities of Kannagi Nagar. In holding multiple conversations with the children of Kannagi Nagar, it became evident that the games they play are a significant aspect of their individual and collective identity. The project will be carried out by having residents of Kannagi Nagar write a personal story on these postcards, which will be mailed out.

Kannagi Postcard project by Urban Design Collective
Kannagi Postcard project by Urban Design Collective

REDRAWING KANNAGI NAGAR BY URBAN DESIGN COLLECTIVE

The ‘Redrawing your city’ project is about mapping a city through the narratives of its residents. In Redrawing Kannagi Nagar, the residents mapped out key locations of their everyday lives - such as their place of residence - places of recreation etc. Through this project, residents and locals participated in creating a new map of Kannagi Nagar, one that reflected the life of its residents.

Redrawing Kannagi Nagar by Urban Design Collective

PAINTING AND DRAWING WORKSHOP BY KAI RASSI FOUNDATION

Kai Rassi delivered a short workshop with the students from the MCDS center for differently abled. The workshop included worksheets and collective painting activities where the kids could associate images related to the murals in Kannagi. The kids also got a chance to use spray cans and stencils - introducing them to their very first street art technique.

Kai Rassi workshop

MURAL BY DIFFERENTLY ABLED ARTIST ANTONY FROM KAI RASSI

Antony is a carpenter and art school teacher who suffers from Achondroplasia (a person of short stature). Moonlighting as an independent artist, he has experience working with acrylic paints, metal installation and architectural models. Together with Antony, the foundation worked on a small mural that would resonate to the kids of Kannagi. With two kids holding a watermelon, the mural draws attention to the popular fruit of the neighbourhood keeping everyone hydrated at all times.

Antony

PUBLIC EVENTS

As the collateral activities achieved an enthusiastic response from the community, two public events were organised as a crescendo, establishing Kannagi as a wide open platform for dialogue, creativity and beauty. These events showcased the best of the talents from the neighbourhood and from the city, while inviting the whole citizens to participate and engage with the multiple offers that the newly formed art district presented.

COMMUNITY SHOWCASE

The community celebration began its day with painting of the community wall that stretched to 286ft on the main ground of Kannagi. Kids from the community, residents from the area and the NGOs who partnered with us were invited to paint with a group of 15 volunteers from SPI Edge. The day ended with a showcase of performances that put together the best of local talents from the neighbourhood residing within schools, NGOs, tuition centres, clubs and friend circles. There were about 160 people who participated in the showcase - adults and children alike.

KONDATTAM OH KONDATTAM

‘Kondattam Oh Kondattam!’ was the final celebration in Kannagi Nagar - an introduction of the city of Chennai to Kannagi Art District. The following activities were organised to engage the city with the district.

STREET EXHIBITION. As an outcome of the collateral projects, Chennai Photo Biennale, Madras inherited and Urban Design Collective in the form of a small ‘Street Exhibition”.
GRAFFITI JAM. Curated by Zero ,seven graffiti artists from Chennai and across India collaborated to wrap the wall of the Corporation office. From diverse styles to scripts, this jam added a new dimension to understanding ‘Street Culture’ in Kannagi.
RAP AND HIP-HOP BATTLE. Moderated by DJ Fanny, the Hip Hop Battle took place in the evening. With over 3 face offs and 3 special performances by Black Boys, All for One, P.E.A.C.E, this showcase was a special effort to bring together the city’s street culture scene into Kannagi.
WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATION By Aravani Art Project. The artist collective opened the day with a celebration of womanhood. They organised a rangoli making competition with 10 groups of women to showcase their unique ‘street creativity’. A synergy between culture and gender, this component saw the most memorable coming together of the community.

INAUGURATION

On 9th March 2020, after two months of continuous work, Kannagi was officially inaugurated as Tamil Nadu's first art district marking a landmark moment in the history of public art in South India.

The ceremony was honoured by the presence of S. P. Velumani, Minister for Municipal Administration, Rural Development and Implementation of Special Programme, D Jayakumar, Minister for Fisheries and Personnel and Administrative Reforms, P Benjamin, Minister for Rural Industries, G Prakash, IAS Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation, Alby John, IAS, Regional Deputy Commissioner, South Chennai and A.K.Viswanathan, Police Commissioner - Chennai.

Inauguration Kannagi Art Dist St Art Chennai 2020 Pranav Gohil 10

EXPLORE OTHER DISTRICTS:

Borondo

Lodhi Art District

As part of St+art Delhi 2016, the Foundation worked in close collaboration with CPWD to reinvigorate the walls between Khanna Market and Meherchand Market, and to convert Lodhi Colony into India’s first Public Art District. The aim of the project was to work closely with government bodies and the community of Lodhi Colony to create art works in public spaces. By the end of the project in 2016, twenty three murals were added to the area. Today, with fifty six and more artworks, the colony is widely recognized as the first open-air art district of the country and the reception received by it in terms of footfall, the number of tours and walks being organised, photo and video shoots taking place, and an increased sense of community pride amongst its inhabitants encourages us to build on the art district every year.

Maqtha Art District

Located next to the Hussain Sagar lake - one of Hyderabad’s prime locations, the Maqtha neighbourhood provided us with the ideal setting to initiate work on the vision of St+art Hyderabad 2016 - to make the city’s public spaces more interactive. 11 artworks were created in the neighbourhood by national and international artists over a month. Upon completion of artworks, the neighbourhood was launched as India’s third, open-for-all, public art district. More artworks were added to the area in the subsequent editions of the festival.

Mahim (E) Art District

In October 2017, the region of Mahim (E) in Mumbai became the launchpad for India’s third open-air, public art district. Encompassing the areas of Dharavi, Matunga Labour Camp and Shahu Nagar - together forming Mahim (E), the art district saw the creation of artworks by national and international artists who used local narratives to inspire their pieces. Artworks in the region were conceptualised and executed with the objective of encouraging the city’s citizens - who generally might not venture into Shahu Nagar and Mahim (E) - to both discover its cultural milieu and get a chance to engage with its people.

Panjim Art District

India’s fourth public art district - the Panjim Art District, was founded in 2017, as part of St+art Goa 2017. Over the years, a diverse set of artists has used distinct stylistic approaches to create pieces inspired by their respective interpretations of the city. Spread across key buildings of the town-centre, today the Panjim Art District has a total of fourteen murals each of which is in a dialogue with the unique culture and ethos of Goa in its own way.

H11235 Reveals St Art Kovai 2018 Pranav Gohil 22

Kovai Art Trail

Under St+art Kovai, the first project involved the creation of a walkable art trail on the Government Art College Road in the city. four artists came together to enliven four different buildings located on the road, with pieces that drew inspiration from both Kovai’s history and its present. Situated in an area that accommodates a high concentration of diverse pedestrians, the pieces were conceptualised so as to be relevant to a large audience - both local and global.

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