Besides its rather spectacular political hoardings and wall art, Chennai has very little to do with graffiti, in the way the West perceives it — as the art of open spaces.
Why can’t such spaces in the city turn, say for instance, an open museum for natural history? Take the pillars of Chennai Metro; the space on the pillars along the Koyambedu-Alandur stretch can wear names of flora and fauna, suggests Prakash Vaidyanathan, a self-employed science tutor.
“If this idea is implemented, thousands of children commuting on this corridor will be benefitted. I have been trying to reach out to Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) about this for a while now,” he says.
Environmentalists too endorse this idea of using public spaces more efficiently.
Jayashree Venkatesan of Care Earth says, though Chennai has pockets of protected forests and numerous wetlands, residents do not get to experience their beauty.
“So, in this context, public spaces like Metro Rail pillars can be used to depict plants and animals. If this idea is executed well, it could very well turn out to be an open museum of natural history for Chennai,” she says.
Vijay Kumar of Madras Naturalists’ Society says infrastructure projects like Chennai Metro are for the future. So, when these pillars sport names and pictures of animals and plants, there is a message for the next generation.
But officials of CMRL say they have other plans. “Tenders have already been awarded to a company. They will start putting up advertisements after commercial operations begin,” he says.
Public spaces like Metro Rail pillars could sport pictures and information on flora and fauna
