Godrej Properties announces the Godrej Public Art Initiative

2024-11-22 02:40:56 Business

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Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) (BSE scrip id: GODREJPRP), one of India?s leading real estate developers, today announced the Godrej Public Art Initiative through which it will partner with leading contemporary Indian and international artists to bring public art to its projects across India.

GPL has always believed in the importance of fostering sustainable communities that maximize the quality of life for residents while also adding value to the broader community. Our developments are rooted in the tenets of good urban design, vibrant programming, active street life and cultural place making to enable communities to form their own unique identity. It is a privilege to work with distinguished Indian and international contemporary artists to bring their work to life and to contribute to our modern national cultural identity.

The first two artists Godrej has partnered with are Subodh Gupta and Manish Nai, both of whom are amongst India?s brightest artistic talents. Both artists have created large-scale works that have already been installed at Godrej BKC, a LEED Platinum rated commercial office building at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. The two art installations at Godrej BKC are ?Aakash, Pataal, Dharti (Space, Depth, Surface), 2016? by Subodh Gupta positioned outside the building, and a site-specific wall sculpture, ?Untitled, 2017?, by Manish Nai in the entrance lobby.

In addition to these installations at Godrej BKC, both Subodh Gupta and Manish Nai are also working on monumental installations for Godrej Properties? flagship project, The Trees, in Vikhroli. The details on these installations will be subsequently announced.

Aside from incorporating public art into its own developments, Godrej Properties is also supporting public art in locations across India. As a first step, Godrej Properties is proud to be a sponsor of the Madhavendra Sculpture Palace at Nahargarh Fort, one of India?s first sculpture parks that is being planned within an iconic location in Jaipur.

Pirojsha Godrej with Subodh Gupta and Manish Nai at Godrej One

Mr. Pirojsha Godrej, Executive Chairman, Godrej Properties said, ?Art has the power to inspire, to provoke discourse, and to enrich our communities and neighborhoods. We are excited to promote public art in India and are thrilled to partner with artists of the caliber of Subodh and Manish to build on this exciting initiative.?

Mr. Subodh Gupta said, ?I am pleased to partner Godrej Properties in the valuable goal of promoting public art in India. My first installation in BKC assigns the role of performer to the viewer, who is faced with an enormous four-walled structure. In order to fully experience the work, the viewer is forced to circumambulate the impenetrable edifice, as one does at many religious sites or as the planets orbit around the sun. I look forward to a continued partnership with Godrej and to creating exciting large scale public art for their flagship project, The Trees.?

Mr. Manish Nai said, ?Partnering with Godrej Properties? Public Art Initiative is something I am deeply passionate about. For a long time I have wanted to expand the possibilities of my medium and the scale of my work. The project at Godrej BKC provided the opportunity to fulfill my dream. I am excited to be working on an even more monumental outdoor sculpture for The Trees.?

About Godrej Properties

Godrej Properties brings the Godrej Group philosophy of innovation, sustainability and excellence to the real estate industry. Each Godrej Properties development combines a 120?year legacy of excellence and trust with a commitment to cutting- edge design and technology. Godrej Properties is currently developing residential, commercial and township projects spread across approximately 14 million square meters (147 million square feet) in 12 cities.

In the last 3 years, Godrej Properties has received over 200 awards and recognitions, including the ?Real Estate Company Of The Year? at the Construction Week India Awards 2015, ?Golden Peacock Award for Sustainability? for the year 2015 by Institute Of Directors (IOD), ?Most Reliable Builder for 2014" at the CNBC AWAAZ Real Estate Awards 2014, ?Innovation Leader in Real Estate? award at the NDTV Property Awards 2014 and ?Popular Choice - Developer of the Year? award by ET NOW in 2013.

About Subodh Gupta:

Subodh Gupta with his artwork ?Aakash, Pataal, Dharti? at Godrej BKC

Subodh Gupta was born in 1964 in Khagaul, Bihar, and studied at the College of Art, Patna (1983-1988) before moving to New Delhi, where he continues to live and work. Trained as a painter, he went on to experiment with a variety of media, which culminated in his first installation in 1996 entitled Twenty-nine Mornings. Gupta is mostly known for working with everyday objects that are ubiquitous throughout India, such as the mass-produced steel kitchen utensils used in virtually every home in the country. From such ordinary items the artist produces sculptures that reflect on the economic transformations of his homeland while acknowledging the reach of contemporary art and its ideas. While stainless steel is Gupta?s signature medium, he has also masterfully executed works in bronze, marble, brass and wood while dialoguing with found and manipulated objects that encapsulate multiple meanings and reflect on the circumstances of contemporary India. Gupta?s works have been exhibited in prestigious museums, art fairs and biennales throughout the world. Solo exhibitions of his work have been held in some of the most internationally renowned contemporary art galleries, including Hauser & Wirth (London, Zurich, New York and Somerset), Arario (Seoul and Beijing), Pinchuk Art Centre (Kiev) and Galeria Continua (San Gimignano, Italy). In 2012 his mid-career survey was seen at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, curated by Germano Celant. His most recent solo shows include In This Vessel Lies the Philosopher?s Stone (2017) at Galeria Continua, San Gimignano, Italy; अनहद / Unstruck (2016) at Famous Studio,

Mumbai, India by Nature Morte ; Invisible Reality (2016) at Hauser & Wirth, Somerset, UK; and Seven Billion Light Years at Hauser & Wirth (2015), New York. In late 2015, his monumental sculpture When Soak Becomes Spill was installed in front of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London; a giant stainless steel bucket with hundreds of small vessels spilling from the brim like over-flowing water. His work was included in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston?s recent show Megacities Asia and in 2013 he was awarded the Chevalier dans l?Ordre des Arts et des Letters, among the French government?s highest honors, for his contribution to contemporary art. Gupta?s work has been acquired by leading private collectors as well as for the permanent collections of museums all over the world.

About Manish Nai

Manish Nai with his installation at Godrej BKC

Manish Nai was born in 1980 in Gujarat. Nai?s position ? rooted in the treatment of materials that are indicative of the hustle and bustle of urban India ? has emerged as one of the most unique and promising positions in art of the Indian subcontinent. A solo exhibition of his work was presented at the Fondation Fernet Branca in France in 2017, and will travel to the Het Noordbrabants Museum in The Netherlands in 2018.

Nai has held solo exhibitions at Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Mumbai; Galerie Karsten Greve, Cologne, St. Moritz and Paris; Galerie Gebr. Lehmann, Berlin; and Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago. He lives and works in Mumbai.

For further information please contact:

Mr. Ajay Pawar
Associate Vice President (Corporate Communications) Godrej Properties Limited
Tel no: +91 022 61698500
Mobile: +91 9820286056