Art Of The Matter

Public art plays a significant role in society by inspiring, intriguing, motivating and provoking the community it is created for. However, such works are rare in India. The Harsh Goenka-backed RPG Art Foundation is now looking to change this space by setting up installations across Mumbai that have the city at their very core.

- Sneha Mahale

It has been over 35 years since artist and writer Robert Morris posed the question: “If there is such a thing as public art, what then is private art?” The question remains relevant till date; more so with works increasingly finding room in urban spaces such as malls, parks and plazas.

Public art can be a powerful form of expression. Some works are known to act as catalysts for dialogue, the ‘Fearless Girl’ statue erected in Lower Manhattan, New York City, being the latest example. While a few hailed the girl, who stands defiantly in front of Manhattan’s famous ‘Charging Bull’ sculpture, as an “instant icon”, others have derided the statute as “fake corporate feminism”. Other works draw dissent. Anish Kapoor’s ‘The Orbit’ for the Olympic Park in London had people up in arms over its twisted metal structure. Even so, public art has remained an effective way for artists to inspire, intrigue, motivate and provoke the community in an outdoor setting that is open to all viewers.

In India, however, such works of expression are rare and public art remains limited to a few spaces in metropolitan cities. But there are a few who are trying to bring about a change such as the Harsh Goenka-backed RPG Art Foundation.

The beginning

Goenka is a fifth-generation entrepreneur from one of India’s best-known business families. A strong advocate of innovation and creativity at the workplace, the chairman of RPG Enterprises has also been an ardent collector of contemporary art for over 35 years, his collection including nearly 800 self-portraits. He buys art that he enjoys, understands and finds fulfilling, whether they are in the form of paintings, sculptures or fine pieces of furniture.