Beauty from scrap: Bhubaneswar hosts India’s first open-air ‘waste to art’ museum

The Bhubaneswar museum hosts works of artists from all across the world and draws attention to several environmental issues like climate change.

The International Public Art Symposium (IPAS), organised by the Artist Network Promoting Indian Culture (ANPIC), Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), was inaugurated by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday. Considered India’s first open-air ‘waste to art’ museum, it is also the state’s first dedicated space for artists.

Speaking at the event, Patnaik said,

“I wish to congratulate the artists for their wonderful exhibits which have been miraculously made out of junk. I congratulate ANPIC for this great initiative.”

The museum will be converting waste to art, and already hosts sculptures fashioned out of waste by artists from all across the world. A noteworthy piece includes that of Argentinian artist Augusto Daniel Gallo’s, which is one of the lions standing back to back in the National Emblem of India, made out of junk metals, says Hindustan Times.

Artist Donald Buglass from New Zealand created a flying eagle out of iron waste. Anita Maria Wilhelmina de Harde from the Netherlands made the ‘Royal Bengal Tigress, Sundari,’ another artist Daniel Pérez Suárez from Spain has created ‘Head of Lord Buddha’. Among Indian artists, Jeetender Kumar Ojha from Baroda has created a sculpture symbolising women empowerment.

The team took 20 days to curate pieces for space under the theme ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’. The museum is open for public viewing.

The sculpture museum is targeted to create awareness amongst people of Odisha on the environment, climate change and reuse of waste materials. It has also put a spotlight on species like the Odisha Olive Ridley Turtle, the Indian /Odisha Elephant, the Indian Rhino, the Nilgiri Tahr, the Bengal Tiger, the Blackbuck, Snow Leopard and the Lion-Tailed Macaque, to bring attention to wildlife protection, says Bhubaneswarbuzz.

Speaking at the inauguration, Sashank Mohapatra, Managing Trustee, ANPIC said, “Art that is not only a delight for the eyes but also sends out a strong social message is the need of the hour. This first Waste to Art Open Air Museum which is going to be a great tourist attraction would also create awareness on various environmental issues such as wildlife conservation.“ “The initiative is also going to boost socio-cultural art in Odisha and would encourage young artists to come up with new ideas” he added.

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