'Maraa', a city-based arts and media collective has come up with a project 'Secrets from a Scarecrow,' which aims to inquire into the nature of change at Cubbon Park, understand public space and also the people who work at and use the park.
People working with the collective over the course of a month interacted with the people visiting the park and also with those working there, such as security guards, street vendors, migrant labourers, among others.
"Based on the stories people have narrated, we have made scarecrows using hay, old cloth and other waste materials. Each scarecrow tells a story of violence, desire, love, fantasy, migration, class, gender and sexuality and its manifestation in a public park. Together, these stories reflect changes in the park, both large and small, and the way in which these transformations are received and resisted by those occupying the park," said co-founder of Maraa, Ekta Mittal. One scarecrow tells the tale of a street vendor, Meena, who regularly visited Cubbon Park to sell balloons for the past 36 years and how she suddenly got evicted one day, while another depicts the journey of a sex worker.
Mittal said that they have made 55 scarecrows, out of which 40 were put on display at Venkatappa Art Gallery on November 3 and 4 in the exhibition 'Secrets from a Scarecrow' as part of their month-long project. Members of Maraa said that the response to the exhibition has been overwhelming and they soon plan to bring out a book based on the scarecrow project and exhibition.
People working with the collective over the course of a month interacted with the people visiting the park and also with those working there, such as security guards, street vendors, migrant labourers, among others.
"Based on the stories people have narrated, we have made scarecrows using hay, old cloth and other waste materials. Each scarecrow tells a story of violence, desire, love, fantasy, migration, class, gender and sexuality and its manifestation in a public park. Together, these stories reflect changes in the park, both large and small, and the way in which these transformations are received and resisted by those occupying the park," said co-founder of Maraa, Ekta Mittal. One scarecrow tells the tale of a street vendor, Meena, who regularly visited Cubbon Park to sell balloons for the past 36 years and how she suddenly got evicted one day, while another depicts the journey of a sex worker.
Mittal said that they have made 55 scarecrows, out of which 40 were put on display at Venkatappa Art Gallery on November 3 and 4 in the exhibition 'Secrets from a Scarecrow' as part of their month-long project. Members of Maraa said that the response to the exhibition has been overwhelming and they soon plan to bring out a book based on the scarecrow project and exhibition.
'Maraa’, a city-based arts and media collective has come up with a project 'Secrets from a Scarecrow,’ which aims to inquire into the nature of change at Cubbon Park, understand public space and also the people who work at and use the park.
People working with the collective over the course of a month interacted with the people visiting the park and also with those working there, such as security guards, street vendors, migrant labourers, among others.
"Based on the stories people have narrated, we have made scarecrows using hay, old cloth and other waste materials. Each scarecrow tells a story of violence, desire, love, fantasy, migration, class, gender and sexuality and its manifestation in a public park. Together, these stories reflect changes in the park, both large and small, and the way in which these transformations are received and resisted by those occupying the park,” said co-founder of Maraa, Ekta Mittal. One scarecrow tells the tale of a street vendor, Meena, who regularly visited Cubbon Park to sell balloons for the past 36 years and how she suddenly got evicted one day, while another depicts the journey of a sex worker.
Mittal said that they have made 55 scarecrows, out of which 40 were put on display at Venkatappa Art Gallery on November 3 and 4 in the exhibition 'Secrets from a Scarecrow’ as part of their month-long project. Members of Maraa said that the response to the exhibition has been overwhelming and they soon plan to bring out a book based on the scarecrow project and exhibition.
People working with the collective over the course of a month interacted with the people visiting the park and also with those working there, such as security guards, street vendors, migrant labourers, among others.
"Based on the stories people have narrated, we have made scarecrows using hay, old cloth and other waste materials. Each scarecrow tells a story of violence, desire, love, fantasy, migration, class, gender and sexuality and its manifestation in a public park. Together, these stories reflect changes in the park, both large and small, and the way in which these transformations are received and resisted by those occupying the park,” said co-founder of Maraa, Ekta Mittal. One scarecrow tells the tale of a street vendor, Meena, who regularly visited Cubbon Park to sell balloons for the past 36 years and how she suddenly got evicted one day, while another depicts the journey of a sex worker.
Mittal said that they have made 55 scarecrows, out of which 40 were put on display at Venkatappa Art Gallery on November 3 and 4 in the exhibition 'Secrets from a Scarecrow’ as part of their month-long project. Members of Maraa said that the response to the exhibition has been overwhelming and they soon plan to bring out a book based on the scarecrow project and exhibition.
