Colours of Bangalore come alive

Artist Aren Skalman with his chariot at the boulevard on MG Road in Bangalore on Sunday. Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

The newly-opened boulevard on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Bangalore came alive on Sunday with a myriad of colours at an exhibition exclusively for children, whose attention was riveted on a chariot that stood out.

A Fulbright research scholar from San Diego, Aren Skalman picked up material from the streets of Bangalore and created the chariot. He described the chariot as a “reflection of the city in the eyes of an outsider”.

He said that the chariot represents India. It is made up of waste cloth, paper pieces and other handicraft material that he collected from across the city, particularly from small markets.

He is working in collaboration with the Chitrakala Parishat.

“I did not want it to be put in a gallery or a museum, I wanted it to be displayed in a public place where everyone could view it. I drove it around also because something like this is meant to be put to use,” he said.

Meanwhile, children were involved in a drawing competition and Number Nagar, where they had an interactive and fun way of solving mathematical problems.

Several handicraft items, including handbags, paintings, carpets, toys, were on display. An exhibition of photographs, “Bangalore in Transit”, depicted the change the city has gone through the ages.

“This exhibition is mostly a fun place for children with swings and other activities all around. It is a perfect place to bring your child to, look around at the exhibits and photographs and enjoy the walk,” said Kavita, a parent.

Amid all this, some craftsmen were busy making and selling wooden toys on the spot.