NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is planning to transform the central Delhi’s Mandi House area, which houses notable cultural centres, into a curated sculpture walk and art district along the lines of the existing ones in the US, UK and Japan.
The entire area, which includes Mandi House, the National School of Drama, FICCI Auditorium, Shri Ram Centre, India Gate-NGMA, Hyderabad House, Travancore Bhawan and Triveni Kala Sangam, may feature some of the creations from India’s renowned sculptors before 2025 ends. NDMC Vice Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal made this announcement while addressing a press conference here on Tuesday.
He said the initiative builds on an earlier resolution to earmark a per cent of NDMC’s total budget for the promotion of art, both visual and performing. A dedicated Urban Arts and Culture Forum has also been established to oversee a structured annual cultural calendar.
In the first phase of the project, NDMC plans to install sculptures by 10 of India’s most renowned sculptors, each ranging from 10 to 15 feet in height.
Chahal said these would include works by Satish Gujral, Raghav Kaneria, Padma Shri Biman Bihari Das, Padma Shri Rajendra Tikku, KS Radhakrishnan, Arun Pandit, Ved Nair and the late Nagji Patel among others.
Eight artists have already confirmed their participation, he added.
Project head Harshvardhan Sharma, former NGMA board member, said the sculptures will be made from stainless steel, bronze and stone for durability and sustainability. Inspired by global sculpture parks, the project includes an international painting symposium in September-October with 15 Indian artists and a sculpture symposium in October-November with 15 sculptors. NDMC will provide logistics, accommodation and materials.