By Pari Syal
Photography:
courtesy Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum
The
critical collaboration of Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum and BMW Guggenheim Lab in
Mumbai has hypothecated the adage, ‘Inculcate it in the child’, by engaging
young impressionable minds with urban issues through art and craft.
The last one month has seen a series of 5 workshops at sites across Mumbai
engaging children between the ages of 10 and 14 years to create and shape their
vision of an ideal Mumbai.
 |
| . |
Working on a thematic with origami artist Himanshu Agarwal, the
workshops have focused on aspects of housing, transportation, infrastructure
and green initiatives. The intent was to engage the receptive minds into
practicable lessons of urban living through interactive discussions on contemporary
environmental and planning issues faced by the city and encourage them to
consider possible solutions.
 |
| . |
 |
| . |
An enthusiastic response has predictably emerged with a virtuous yet
much-needed scenario for the future of Mumbai. There were proposals for more
greenery, open spaces, car-free zones on Sundays, skywalks, waterways, curb on
pollution, harnessing of natural energies, cycling and running tracks, need for civic sense and the like. While the children
engaged in making their models, their thinking caps were further honed via
facilitator-interactions for the envisaged domino effect.
 |
| . |
At the close of the workshops, participants from each session were
invited back to the Lab, where they collaboratively assembled a holistic urban
landscape. This artistic installation will remain on view for the public as a
legacy of the BMW-Guggenheim Lab in Mumbai. Maybe, if each one of us comes
away with a wee bit of the ingrained wisdom and determination to act on it,
we could together make Mumbai truly beautiful!
 |
| Mumbai of the future in origami |
The BMW Guggenheim Lab
Project is a mobile laboratory
travelling to cities worldwide, with the goal of exploring new ideas, experimenting,
and ultimately creating forward-thinking visions for city life. Launched in Berlin, it moved to New York
before coming to Mumbai.
An initiative worth applause. It was only yesterday that I was imagining a world where children's visions would be incorporated towards finding tangible solutions to modern-day issues (including that in the workplace arena!), and today I get to read this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for every other informative website. Where else may I get that
ReplyDeletekind of info written in such an ideal way? I have a project that I am just now
working on, and I've been on the look out for such info.
my web page: web page ()
That is very interesting, You are an overly skilled blogger.
ReplyDeleteI have joined your rss feed and sit up for in the hunt for extra of your fantastic post.
Additionally, I've shared your web site, ,
in my social networks
I like the helpful information you supply in your articles.
ReplyDeleteI will bookmark your weblog and test again right here regularly.
I'm slightly sure I'll learn many new stuff proper right here!
Best of luck for the next!