Chandigarh
20 March 2021
DIVYA AZAD
Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. (KNPL), one of the leading paint brands in the country has inaugurated an exclusive art installation, titled ‘Murmurations’ as a dedication to the city of Chandigarh. The city’s first big public installation ‘Murmurations’, features 300 birds and was inaugurated under the aegis of Nerolac’s novel public outreach programme “Nerolac Breathing City” at the city’s prominent landmark, Matka Chowkby Mr. Manoj Parida, IAS, Advisor, UT Chandigarh in the presence of Mr. Surinder Kaul, Divisional Sales Manager, Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. This is the second installation in the Nerolac Breathing City series. Nerolac had earlier successfully unveiled a unique and functional installation in the city of Vishakhapatnam in 2019.
“Nerolac Breathing City” programme aims to contribute towards creating transformative living spaces that are functional and aesthetically appealing. Under this programme, the brand is looking to draw attention to and promote conversations about the need for better urban spaces, living conditions and public health. Murmurations at Chandigarh visualises the relationship between a group and the individual by mimicking a swarm of ‘starlings’ which are migratory birds. The artwork poetically illustrates how we, as humans, strive to live autonomously within societies defined by rules and conventions.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anuj Jain, Executive Director, Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. said, “The Nerolac Breathing City initiative is our endeavour to beautify urban spaces with innovative ideas and unique concepts to drive conversations that are of civic and environmental importance. It reflects our brand purpose of creating environments for a healthy and beautiful future. “Murmurations” is inspired by The City Beautiful and migratory birds visiting the Sukhna lake every year. The installation bearing 300 birds and covering a total of 2000 sq. ft. has been designed after a meticulous understanding of the context, site, vistas & the heritage values of the chowk. It has been ensured that the view of the vistas and the mountains are not obstructed.”
Dr. Sandeep Goyal, Chairman Mogaé Group said, “The Murmurations installation is a new landmark for The City Beautiful. It is a proud moment for us that the city stands enriched in its beauty and the new artwork is a harbinger of both harmony and peaceful co-existence.”
Carol Goyal, Trustee, Kailasham Trust said, “Public installations are like the jewels of a city. They add beauty and character to a cityscape. At Kailasham we endeavour to bring art and administration together for better citizenry.”
Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. (KNPL) has collaborated with Studio Emergence to design and bring alive this unique installation.
Nerolac has also ensured that the clay pot from which Matka Chowk derives its name is retained and its beauty is emphasized by adding a flock of birds around the beautiful water sculpture. This enhances the charm of the Matka and shows how art is ephemeral and constantly changing. It further showcases that new additions do not mean tearing down our old roots but maintaining heritage sculptures and giving them their due respect.
As part of its strong commitment towards nurturing a beautiful and healthy future for our generations to come, the brand has consistently worked towards offering paints which are not merely colour but care for family and society through product interventions with pioneering steps such as making paints lead free, low VOC (volatile organic compounds), fungal resistant and anti-bacterial paints etc. in vibrant colours. Early this year, Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. launched its campaign, ‘Aaj Careful Toh Kal Colourful’ with an intent to underline the importance of taking necessary precautions in the current Covid-19 situation to ensure a colourful future.
