Integrate public art in Delhi's development plan: Minister

As the government envisages to develop Delhi as a world-class city, it is time to make public art an essential component of town planning, Union Minister of State for Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday.

"When we have resolved to further develop Delhi as a world-class city with the state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities to boost its potential for tourism as well as for holding world-level conferences and seminars, there is no reason why we should not make creative public art an essential component of all our works," Puri told a Round Table organised by the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) here.

He said that India had a vast pool of renowned sculptors, painters and designers and they could be tapped to beautify Delhi and thereafter other cities and towns of the country.

"Apart from celebrating the nation's cultural diversity, the public art should aesthetically intertwine national, regional and local themes. Such creative and artistic works not only beautify the city but also capture its soul," Puri said

Besides boosting tourism, such public art also "strengthens the affinity a resident feels for the city", he added.

"The objective of the Round Table is to bring together artists, urban designers, city planners, architects and government functionaries to provide their valuable inputs on the subject. The DUAC has come up with guidelines on public art which would help integrate art work with public projects," the Urban Affairs Ministry said in a release.

The meeting was attended by senior ministry officials, DUAC representatives and a number of leading architects and artists.

--IANS

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