Art set to make a stop at every Metro station in Mumbai

To beautify upcoming Metro stations in the city, the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) is planning art installations at every station.

Recently, the MMRDA has been in talks with art groups to present their concepts for every station with the authority looking at getting corporate houses to sponsor these installations.

RA Rajeev, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA said, “These installations will stand out and add a different feature to the Mumbai Metro. Through this initiative, we are also looking at providing a platform to Mumbai’s artists.”

On the themes behind these installations, the MMRDA is considering the location of the stations. “For instance, if the station is in South Mumbai, we are looking at highlighting the city’s heritage,” Rajeev added.

Reshma Jani, founder-owner of the Trinity Art Impact, a gallery in Andheri, said they have started planning. Jani said, “We don’t want to confine art to the galleries alone. By doing this, we want art to be out there for everyone in the city.”

In the next six to seven years, MMRDA will be executing eleven lines in the metropolitan region. Of these, nine lines are in Mumbai itself. The MMRDA has currently undertaken the construction of four lines. The authority is looking at making two lines Metro 2A (Dahisar-DN Nagar) and 7 (Dahisar to Andheri) operational by the end of 2019.

Earlier, MMRDA had also held a design competition for the elevated stations of line 7 (Dahisar to Andheri). In March, the Mumbai Metro 1 (Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar) brought Mumbaiites together for one of the largest single wall-art projects in the city.