Need to create environment where people respect public art: Puri

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Thursday emphasised on the need to create an environment in the national capital where people respect and value public art.

At the second round-table discussion on 'Public Art Policy, Guidelines and Master Plan for Delhi', he cited the example of the newly built skywalk at ITO and vandalising of nuts and blots at Signature Bridge and emphasised on the need for behavioural change in developing public art.

"People have a choice to run a risk of getting runover by crossing the roads or taking the skywalk. Behavioural change or the desire to use the skywalk is little slower than what I expected," Puri said.

The Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs said public art guidelines should be continuous and open-ended process so that newly learnt things could be added on to it.

"We need to jointly facilitate an environment where people respect and value the art in public places," he said.

Highlighting the features of the final draft of public art guidelines, Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) chairman P S N Rao said it would be implemented after a notification is issued by the government.

The guidelines define public art is a artwork in any media that has been planned and executed with the intention of being staged in the physical public domain.

The final draft guidelines provide for a three-member panel of art advisors to advise DUAC in matters concerning public art.

Any person or entity interested in developing public art in Delhi can submit a proposal in a DUAC format to the local bodies concerned.

The DUAC, after receiving such proposals through the local bodies, will consult its public art advisors and accord permission within three weeks, the draft guideline states.

Attending the round-table meeting, noted artist Jatin Das said there were no culture or art policies of the government at the national level and advocated promotion of various art forms including visual arts.