Transformers from Delhi trash: Artists turn junk engine, shocker, chassis to sculptures

The waste-to-art initiative is a brainchild of SDMC and the agency plans to churn out 30 sculptures from 1,000 tonnes of material dumped at the civic agency’s junk yards.

DELHI Updated: Jan 21, 2018 08:47 IST

Vibha Sharma
Hindustan Times

An artist works on a sculpture ‘A Dog’ at Millennium Park. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

Nearly 10 artists from different parts of the country are camped at a park in south Delhi’s Soami Nagar to transform 1,000 tonnes of junk metal into sculptures.

Some of the under construction works include ‘Rhino’, ‘Freedom’, ‘Man Going to Work’ and ‘A dog’. If you look closely, you can spot the engine, chassis and shocker of an old Skoda Octavia car fitted into these sculptures along with parts of swings, pipes, trolleys, kiosks. The waste-to-art initiative is a brainchild of SDMC and the agency plans to churn out 30 such artworks from the material dumped at it’s junk yards.

The first such creation titled ‘Delhi’s Landmarks: A Fusion ’ was unveiled at a three-acre traffic island near Terminal-3 of IGI Airport on Saturday morning by lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal and SDMC commissioner Puneet Goel. Made out of iron sheets from abandoned cars, the sculpture comprises three parts depicting Red Fort, Qutab Minar and Lotus Temple and has been put up to welcome ASEAN summit delegates.

A sculpture titled ‘Rhino’ made out of engine, chassis and shocker of an old Skoda Octavia car. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

The artists, mostly former students of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU), can be seen working with cranes, JCB and gas cutters to give final shape to their creations that will be installed at parks, central verges and under flyovers.

An installation titled ‘Delhi’s Landmarks: A Fusion’ made out of sheets from old cars, near T-3 of IGI Airport . (Vibha Sharma / HT Photo)

One of the artists Sandip Pisalkar said these works would go a long way in sensitising Delhiites about environment and waste. “Waste can always be useful, provided we treat it well. For the convenience of people, we are keeping the themes simple and relevant. For example — in a business district we will install the 20-feet-tall sculpture ‘Man Going to Work’ made out of sheets recovered from old cars,” Pisalkar said.

A sculpture titled ‘Man Going to Work’ (right). (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

Pijush Patra, an artist and coordinator for project said, “Earlier, we had decided that the sculptures should be less than six feet. But now, I do not want to limit the size of the sculptures being prepared by the artists as there are even 20 feet long works being prepared.”

Patra, who had worked on similar project with Vadodara Municipal Corporation, last year said the civic agency had extended them full support for the project. “The authorities have given us all facilities to complete the project on time. For the last 30 days, we have been provided a crane, welding machines and a JCB machine at our service,” he said.

Sculpture titled ‘Freedom’ . (Vibha Sharma / HT Photo)

Alok Kumar, director of SDMC’s horticulture department, said the sculptures will represent the spirit of the city and will be installed in next three months. “These are being made out of the pipes recovered from old swings became abandoned last year after SDMC replaced them with fibre swings in hundreds of parks. We have also used the sheets recovered from junk vehicles in the sculpture,” he said.

Artists taking a break from work at a park in Soami Nagar. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)