ARTICLE 1286 - Yamuna as the Muse

New Delhi: As part of “Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities”, the City of Hamburg along with Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi, and with the Govt. of NCT of Delhi, presents Yamuna – Elbe: Public.Art.Outreach project that will be held in the cities of Delhi and Hamburg. In Delhi, The Yamuna-Elbe art project will be held from November 9 till November 23, 2011 on site at the Golden Jubilee Park and was held in Hamburg from October 16 till October 23, 2011. The project is expected to be one of the most prime and visible public projects for the year of Germany in India. It coincides with the India Week in Hamburg, as well as celebrates Hamburg having been nominated as the Green Capital for Europe in 2011.

Co-curated by Ravi Agarwal, a well-acclaimed Indian artist and a practicing environmentalist from Delhi and Till Krause, a well known land artist from Hamburg who also runs an art space, Galerie für Landschaftskunst, this collaborative project is centered on the idea of creating ecological sustainable rivers in cities. Both the Elbe and the Yamuna are central to Hamburg and Delhi’s futures.

This twin city public art and outreach project co-curated by Ravi Agarwal and Till Krause on the banks of the river Yamuna in Delhi and river Elbe in Hamburg has been mounted to activate the site on the river for a “river experience”, through an extensive outreach and education programme by inviting schools, youth, citizens of Delhi to the river and to encourage artistic exchange between top Indian and German artists.

The project will be an eco-friendly project with the use of solar energy for power requirements and electrically operated vans for transport to site and usage of recyclable material for production of artworks.

Amongst the outreach programmes, film screenings will be held in collaboration with On the Wall , Goethe Institut – MMB, River Walks by historians such as Sohail Hasmi and environmentalists such as Vimlendu Jha (from Sweccha), walks/outreaches planned with school children on site, Organic food and local chaiwala stalls, Daily Bus Run to/from Max Mueller Bhavan to the Yamuna site, and scheduled visits to the cleaner part of Yamuna, Inter School Debate Competitions with the Final Competition on site on November 11 at 10 a.m.

What’s more, two evening concerts will be held at the open air theatre on site – a performance on nature sounds by Suchet Malhotra, using percussion/world instruments on 12th November at 7.15 p.m. and Indian Classical Music by Vidya Shah on 18th November at 7.15 p.m. respectively.

Apart from the above, MMB will also host a show within the show – first, a photographic documentary on the Elbe project, Till Krause will put up a show of his work, and Yamuna River Fragrance: A performance by a German Artist will also take place.

Artists whose work will be showcased along the Yamuna in Delhi are Atul Bhalla, Asim Waqif, Gigi Scaria, Sheba Chachhi with contributions by Vivan Sundram and others. The German artists participating in the Delhi event are Nana Petzet, Jochen Laempert, Michael Clegg and Martin Guttmann and Ines Lechleitner. Indian artists whose work has been shown in Hamburg are Atul Bhalla and Navjot Altaf.

The art works in Delhi will consist of multimedia, interactive, or peformative on-site installations, dealing with the discourse around the river, with most artworks being installed along the river Yamuna.

Says co-curator Ravi Agarwal: “we need to rethink ecology and rivers in the 21st century where questions about human sustainability and futures have become key. Art is the framework which allows diverse ideas and imaginations to co-exist and helps in repositioning ourselves in relation to nature. The river is not only ‘polluted” or “clean,’ but is a beautiful landscape of the city, with many layers of aesthetic, social and political meanings.”

There are various and very involved discussions around rivers, intensified by current challenges facing water issues. There is great public interest in the subject, even though the dialogues may be different in each place. Some of the outreach activities will include school debates, river walks, film shows and writing workshops. The project which will be located on the river bank in Delhi, near the old Yamuna Bridge at the Golden Jubilee Park will provide an opportunity for citizens to visit the river and explore the various art installations and programs to be held there. The event is open to all.