After BMC notice, art work on Sachin removed from Marine Drive

RPG Art Foundation on Tuesday said it has removed an art installation on legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar from Marine Drive, in compliance with a notice sent by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The civic body on Monday  sent a notice to the Foundation asking it to remove the art work from the iconic sea-facing boulevard notified as a UNESCO world heritage precinct, after citizen and welfare groups raised objection to its installation.

The corporate social responsibility arm of RPG Enterprises had installed the sculpture as part of its “Sundar Bharat” campaign launched on the lines of ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’.

The creative work on the 43-year-old batting great was one among the many public art installations the Foundation put up to beautify public spaces across Mumbai.

“We have removed the Sachin sculpture from the Marine Drive promenade as per BMC's request. We have also received a go-ahead to reinstall this sculpture at Carter Road promenade subject to the Maritime Board's approval,” said Sumeet Chaterjee, senior vice-president (Brands & Communication), RPG Enterprises.

Chaterjee added, "We wish to place on record our appreciation for the BMC to beautify public spaces through art and thank the authorities for giving us alternate sites for the 'Sachin' installation as well as the 'Dabbavala', 'Tetrapod' and 'Rhino' installations."

The Marine Drive area in South Mumbai was notified as a UNESCO world heritage precinct by the state in May 2015. After a few months of notification, the Nariman Point Churchgate Residents Association, in September 2015, wrote a letter to BMC’s Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee and raised objection to any installation or construction on the promenade. In the letter, the association argued that the promenade is meant for citizens to walk on and designed to get an unobstructed view of the Arabian Sea.

Outlining the background of RPG Art Foundation's initiative of beautifying public spaces, the statement said, " Arzan Khambatta, a distinguished artist, conceptualied a 'Rhino' that was then an integral part of brand identity of CEAT (flagship company of RPG Enterprises). That sculpture was placed at Nariman Point."

The public art initiative invited highly distinguished artists to conceptualise and design art installations that reflect the mood and character of Mumbai, it said.

The Foundation's first installation 'Baby Head' was put up at Nariman Point. The 'Rhino' was moved to a new site at Juhu Circle with a view to shake the notion that art and culture in the metropolis have traditionally been 'exhibited' only in and around South Mumbai, the statement said.

The process of obtaining permissions involves submitting a statement of intent to the BMC and then obtaining specific permissions for the site.

Considerations for granting permission to install a sculpture include deciding whether the art work provides an unhindered view for traffic or getting a nod from the Maritime Board if the sculpture is placed on a sea-side promenade, for instance, said the statement.