A Hindustan Times report dated 21 May stated that the NDMC was supposedly mulling over dismantling the iconic giant steel ‘sprouts’ installation, near the AIIMS flyover.
The report had quoted NDMC chairman Naresh Kumar, who said that a large multi-layered fountain would be put up in place of the installation, which is arguably one of the country’s largest public art installation.
However, a senior official from the NDMC has disputed this report, confirming that the decade-old installation would in fact not be removed.
Speaking to The Quint, HP Singh, senior engineer and project in-charge, said:
The installation is NOT going to be dismantled. The NDMC is only planning to additionally install a big fountain in the green space near the flyover for aesthetic purposes.
Singh said that the proposed plan would take at least two to three months to near completion.
According to HT, the installation was inaugurated in 2008, amid a lot of hue and cry. While both the chief minister’s office and the Public Works Department had given approval for the installation, the Delhi Urban Arts Commission had reportedly stalled their approval initially.
Designer Vibhor Sogani, the man behind the ‘Sprouts’ installation, told The Quint via e-mail that he had not been officially intimated of any change.
Explaining his art, he said:
As an artist, my message behind the artwork ‘Sprouts’ was ‘When the seeds begin to sprout...’ – a subtle way of saying that we, as a nation, are well and truly beginning our journey towards being a force.
The installation is reportedly sponsored by Jindal Stainless, who funded over Rs 4 crore towards the project, apart from a Rs 1.5 lakh maintenance cost per month.
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