NeSpoon’s Mural for Lodhi Art Festival empowers Women, Delhi 2019

Posted by Donna on 12th March, 2019
Filed under: From the Street

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

Start celebrates collaborations with foreign institutions, towards cultural exchanges and socially relevant projects, and this year St+art was honoured to work with the European Union (EU) and invite Polish artist, Nespoon to created a large mural in her crochet style.

NesPoon, Lodhi Art Festival, Delhi 2019. Photo credit Pranav Gohil

Nespoon also conducted a skill-learning workshop at Aga Khan Fundation for unprivileged women for International Womans Day, 8th March.

NesPoon Workshop at Aga Khan Foundation, Lodhi Art Festival, Delhi 2019. Photo credit Pranav Gohil

International Woman’s Day was celebrated by unveiling a very special mural by Polish artist NeSpoon PL made in partnership with the European Union (EU in India) and the women of the Isha-e-Noor, an Aga Khan Foundation initiative.

NesPoon Workshop at Aga Khan Foundation, Lodhi Art Festival, Delhi 2019. Photo credit Pranav Gohil

NesPoon International Woman’s day, Lodhi Art Festival, Delhi 2019. Photo credit Pranav Gohil

NesPoon Workshop at Aga Khan Foundation, Lodhi Art Festival, Delhi 2019. Photo credit Pranav Gohil

The evening was opened by a performance by women Rajasthani folk singers from the Kathputli Colony followed by a very engaging panel discussion on How can public art contribute to women’s empowerment, with cultural curator Myna Mukherjee and contemporary artist Sonia Khurana, moderated by St+art co-founder Giulia Ambrogi.

Nespoons’ wall is a collaborative street art project celebrating women’s empowerment in public spaces. We hope that such interventions will play a part, however small or large, in trying to strive for an equal world, with opportunity and respect for both all genders. St+art

HE Tomasz Kozlowski, Ambassador of the European Union to India and Ambassador Lakshmi Puri, Former Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Director of UN Women were in attendance and spoke encouraging words.

Nespoon’s mural can be found at Block 15 of the Lodhi Art District.