Public art in India is scant and is still grappling to pave its way into the psyche of its people. The
sculptural installations have to blend into the environment, reflect the mood of the space it acquires and
i communicate to the public. In India, the idea of public art mainly entails huge sculptural renditions
of our valorous freedom fighters or one that endorses the State’s ideology. However there has been a
gradual evolution in some parts of the country that might not otherwise appear in the mainstream but
an effort is been made in this direction. The artists put to use their resources but are aware of the fact
that they will be subjected to censorship and surveillance. They have to contextualise the artwork in
a way that corresponds to that particular space’s socio-political and cultural environment. The artists
have to mould their artistic practice so as to adhere to the ruling class’ ideology.
We have delineated a series of interesting Essays that brood on different issues concerning sculpture
and public art. Sculpture could also be included under the broad category of public art for it awaits
and elicits a reaction from its spectators it interacts with. In this regard, we have examined sculptural
installations by G.R Iranna whose work represent the condition of humans in this industrialised/
military complex. His seminal sculptural figures ‘represent’ the ‘ideal’ by carving out a realistic
portrayal of the colonisation of the mind of masses at large by a higher authority or an institution. They
are bewildered, anxious, curious and more so vulnerable and submissive to any sort of ideological
reinstatement. The realm of sculpture is staggering as Banamili Sharma, an artist and sculptor from
one of the most conflicted and neglected areas of this nation, Manipur shares with us his life and work .
Anil Kumar explains the difference between public art and art in public and sketches a very
comprehensible and holistic picture of public art’s transitory nature due to its transformation into
a mere spectacle. The reason he puts forth is the museum culture (product of the colonial rule) that
is stagnant and ‘white cube spaces’ only available for the cultured and the elitist. Hence the public
is deprived of art and the visual culture in the country seems to be redundant. To make art more
accessible to the common man artists devise performative acts based around their installations thereby
making it a ‘spectacle’ which emerges from lack of information or knowledge.
Dhanya R reports about an interesting incident that took place in Bengaluru that will mirror the
negligence on the part of government to instil qualitative works of art in public and the nexus between
the government and organisations.
However there are some organisations or a group of people who are working in the opposite
direction, mainly for the anesthetisation of the environment. The notion of public sculpture in India
seems limited as statues of only historical figures generally are displayed in public. So Lina Vincent
interviews Indranil Garai, founder and mind behind IGA (Indranil Garai & Associates), a group
practicing in the field of architectural sculpture, landscape pottery and landscape/architectural design.
With many more features and reviews from different parts of India and abroad, we have tried
to examine and encapsulate the state of Public art and sculpture in contemporary scenario. A rich
historical lineage of religious and secular art created in India it is unfortunate that public art today
is either dormant or absent. However there is a growing sense of hope or optimism with some artists
functioning in the direction of providing qualitative and aesthetical artworks in the public domain that
arrest the viewer’s attention and offers some sort of relief or respite from the mundane life.
We sincerely mourn the demise of Ganesh Pyne, a true artist and the ‘King of Dark Imageries’.
May his soul rest in Peace!
Nature’s every creation is resplendent in spring and a festival of colours approaches to illuminate
our lives. Wish you all a very colourful and vibrant HOLI!!
Siddhartha Tagore