Khirkee Extension is a densely populated urban village in South Delhi. For the past two months, it's been buzzing with energy, activity and colours. A place once inhabited by low-income labourers, families, students and a migrant population has now become an open air art gallery.
“Extension Khirkee” is a project started by Aastha Chauhan — who has worked with Khoj International Artists Association, a non-profit organisation housed in Khirkee Extension — and Turin-based artist Matteo Ferraresi. The festival is an attempt to encourage community participation, trust in a dynamic neighbourhood and an ongoing engagement between art and public.
Now, 16 artists have used the walls of this village to paint murals, set up installations and display original works. The festival has also involved artists from backgrounds as diverse as hip hop, architecture, graphics, art direction and illustrations. The assortment of names includes seasoned street painters, graffiti artists, comic book illustrators and studio-based artists such as Amitabh Kumar, Yantr, Roy Sanjib, Daku, Zine, Anpu Varkey, Mateo Ferraresi, He Ra, and Mattia Lullini. Still in its infancy, the street art culture in Delhi has opened immense possibilities for culture practitioners and this formed the initial framework for other graffiti artists. The artists were active from March 10 to 31.
Chauhan wants to take art beyond the walls of studios and art galleries. It was the idea of art becoming increasingly rarefied that prompted her to organise ‘Extension Khirkee'. The place, of course, was chosen because of her familiarity with it. When she came back to Delhi after a collaboration with street artists in Italy, the stint made her want to set up something along the same lines in India.
The run-down walls of the extension have now metamorphosed into a giant and extended canvas for blue squids, green lizards, graffiti, and rainbows. The festival has resulted in constant interaction between the artists and the residents of Khirkee Extension. The idea and the scale of the festival keeps spreading, with young photographers, filmmakers and artists from the neighbourhood also joining in.
Bottomline: Run-down walls metamorphose into a giant extended canvas
What: Extension Khirkee
Where: Khirkee Extension, New Delhi
When: indefinitely
