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St+art India Foundation have just wrapped up Lodhi Art Festival 2019, supported by Asian Paints. The Lodhi Art Festival 2019 is an expansion of the flagship project – The Lodhi Art District with an addition of 20+ murals to new Delhi. The festival ran for 6 weeks until mid-march 2019 and was a true celebration of diversity, cultures and inclusivity, making art accessible to all.
“It has been our endeavour to increase awareness and initiate public discourse on the benefits of public art and encourage creative expression. This year we have built the festival with the Lodhi community at its core, The Lodhi Art District, as India’s first Public Art District, provides an example of how art can be made democrative, accessible, inclusive, uplift communities and above all, celebrate diversity. We are encouraged by the continuing support of our partners and the Government, to not only expand the Lodhi Art District, but also manifest other public art disctricts across India.” St+art
In collaboration with the transgender community of Delhi, Aravani Art Project painted their first mural in Delhi in front of the N.P. CO-ED Senior Secondary School in Lodhi Colony.
The Aravani Art Project is an artistic collective that creates spaces for people from the transgender community to connect with other communities and cultures in their local neighbourhoods. Through public art and interventions, the Aravani Art Project reclaims the streets on which so many transgender people suffer violence and discrimination.
The collective’s wall is based on inclusion and unity. Fifteen trans-women and several volunteers contributed to the execution of the wall making it a collective celebration of identity and representation.
The increased visibility of transgender people in popular culture is yet to translate into an increased safety and awareness for the lives of transgender people on the streets of their cities, towns and villages. There is still much work to do and the Aravani Art Project believes that every local conversation can build toward a global impact. This mural can be found at block 5 in Lodhi Art District.
Photo Credit Pranav Gohil