Advisor dedicates Matka Chowk installation to City Beautiful  

Chandigarh: UT Chandigarh Advisor, Manoj Parida, IAS, today dedicated the ‘Murmurations’ installation at Matka Chowk to The City Beautiful. With 300 flying birds, spread over 2000 square feet, the artwork weighs 5.5 tonnes and rises from 3 feet above the ground, to 18 feet in the air. 

The monumental installation has been gifted to the city by Mumbai based advertising & media veteran, Dr. Sandeep Goyal of the Mogaé group, who grew up and studied in Chandigarh during his younger days. Paint company, Kansai Nerolac partnered Dr. Goyal in the project under their ‘Breathing City’ programme. 

“The Murmurations installation at Matka Chowk is a welcome new addition to the city’s skyline. The birds flying in harmony convey the message of peaceful co-existence in society too by maintaining both proximity, and necessary distance, between us humans,” said Advisor Manoj Parida. “I also appreciate the fact that the entire project is funded privately without any cost to the city administration. More citizens should step forward to help further beautify the city and make it more liveable”. 

Thanking the Advisor for the opportunity to contribute to The City Beautiful,  advertising veteran Dr. Sandeep Goyal, the driving force behind the ‘Murmurations’ installation said, “It is a majestic piece of art. As citizens of this beautiful city, we should be rightfully proud of this new addition to our city environs. Art enriches a city; adds colour and flavour to its living environment. Gives it rhythm. Gives it pace. Yet, gives it tranquility. As inheritors of the legacy of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, it is incumbent on city planners, administrators and citizens to constantly add to the incredible beauty of this City. I am delighted to have done my bit; and I hope many others will step forward too to do good for Chandigarh”. 

Speaking on behalf of Kansai Nerolac Paints, Anuj Jain, Executive Director said, “The Nerolac Breathing City initiative is our endeavour to beautify urban spaces in an innovative and appealing manner. Through this initiative, it is our intent to work towards a sustainable future. ‘Murmurations’ is reminiscent of migratory birds visiting the Sukhna Lake every year. This unique installation is our dedication to this beautiful city and its people. Natural metals and eco friendly paint have been used to create the installation, keeping in mind the architecture and design palette of Chandigarh.”

Murmurations – the city’s first big public installation features 300 birds made from mild steel sheets, terracotta and mild steel pipes used in the poles to hoist the birds. Specially designed lights give the installation a warm glow in the evenings.  The birds have been painted in red and dark bronze while the poles are painted in light greyish blue for an aesthetic appeal. The clay pot from which Matka Chowk derives its name has been retained as the centre piece, albeit now in silver colour. The flock of birds enhances the charm of the Matka and shows how art is ephemeral and constantly changing. The installation further showcases that new additions to cityscapes do not mean tearing down our old roots, but constantly evolving heritage spots, continuing to give them their due respect. 

“There is opportunity and scope for many more art installations and artefacts in the city. We need to be mindful that we retain the intrinsic design fabric of Chandigarh; yet we should not be afraid to explore and experiment. That is the essence of breathing cities the world over,” concluded Advisor Parida.

Another Reports Says:

Kansai Nerolac dedicates an exclusive installation to Chandigarh under its “Breathing City” initiative
Murmurations - an art installation has been inaugurated at Matka Chowk with an intent to create better urban spaces 
Chandigarh, 20th March 2021: Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. (KNPL), one of the leading paint brands in the country has inaugurated an exclusive art installation, titled ‘Murmurations’ as a dedication to the city of Chandigarh. The city’s first big public installation ‘Murmurations’, features 300 birds and was inaugurated under the aegis of Nerolac’s novel public outreach programme “Nerolac Breathing City” at the city’s prominent landmark, Matka Chowk by Mr. Manoj Parida, IAS, Advisor, UT Chandigarh in the presence of Mr. Surinder Kaul, Divisional Sales Manager, Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. This is the second installation in the Nerolac Breathing City series. Nerolac had earlier successfully unveiled a unique and functional installation in the city of Vishakhapatnam in 2019.

“Nerolac Breathing City” programme aims to contribute towards creating transformative living spaces that are functional and aesthetically appealing. Under this programme, the brand is looking to draw attention to and promote conversations about the need for better urban spaces, living conditions and public health. Murmurations at Chandigarh visualises the relationship between a group and the individual by mimicking a swarm of 'starlings' which are migratory birds. The artwork poetically illustrates how we, as humans, strive to live autonomously within societies defined by rules and conventions.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anuj Jain, Executive Director, Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. said, “The Nerolac Breathing City initiative is our endeavour to beautify urban spaces with innovative ideas and unique concepts to drive conversations that are of civic and environmental importance. It reflects our brand purpose of creating environments for a healthy and beautiful future. “Murmurations” is inspired by The City Beautiful and migratory birds visiting the Sukhna lake every year. The installation bearing 300 birds and covering a total of 2000 sq. ft. has been designed after a meticulous understanding of the context, site, vistas & the heritage values of the chowk. It has been ensured that the view of the vistas and the mountains are not obstructed.”

Dr. Sandeep Goyal, Chairman Mogaé Group said, “The Murmurations installation is a new landmark for The City Beautiful. It is a proud moment for us that the city stands enriched in its beauty and the new artwork is a harbinger of both harmony and peaceful co-existence.”

Carol Goyal, Trustee, Kailasham Trust said, “Public installations are like the jewels of a city. They add beauty and character to a cityscape. At Kailasham we endeavour to bring art and administration together for better citizenry.”

Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. (KNPL) has collaborated with Studio Emergence to design and bring alive this unique installation.

Nerolac has also ensured that the clay pot from which Matka Chowk derives its name is retained and its beauty is emphasized by adding a flock of birds around the beautiful water sculpture. This enhances the charm of the Matka and shows how art is ephemeral and constantly changing. It further showcases that new additions do not mean tearing down our old roots but maintaining heritage sculptures and giving them their due respect.

As part of its strong commitment towards nurturing a beautiful and healthy future for our generations to come, the brand has consistently worked towards offering paints which are not merely colour but care for family and society through product interventions with pioneering steps such as making paints lead free, low VOC (volatile organic compounds), fungal resistant and anti-bacterial paints etc. in vibrant colours. Early this year, Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. launched its campaign, ‘Aaj Careful Toh Kal Colourful’ with an intent to underline the importance of taking necessary precautions in the current Covid-19 situation to ensure a colourful future.