Promoting public art

Sculptor Arzan Khambatta and architect Ratan Batliboi will be among the first members of the newly formed Mumbai Commission for Arts, Music and Culture (MCAMC). They join artist Sanjeev Khandekar and actor-director Chandrakant Kulkarni on the body to be headed by former bureaucrat Ramanath Jha, who also heads the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC), reported the Mumbai Mirror (MM) of March 18, 2018. Two more persons will soon be appointed to the Commission, noted MM. Khambatta told Parsiana on April 6 that "next week they are going to set a mutual date for the first meeting. Once that happens we’ll all have some clarity.”

Arzan Khambatta (l) and Ratan Batliboi: assisting with aesthetics

The newspaper report stated that "the idea to create the MCAMC, which was cleared by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in February, was mooted by civic chief Ajoy Mehta last year, in the light of an increasing number of requests relating to street art, installations and murals across the city. The body will "help the BMC (Bombay Municipal Corporation) take a call on aesthetics and appropriateness of the works as well as their impact on the overall appearance of a particular area.” The art installations that MCAMC will examine include paintings, murals, statues, sculptures, monuments, fountains, arches and other structures of a permanent character intended for ornament or commemoration, noted the report. Quoting an unnamed BMC official, MM said that every request for a public installation or art work will be referred to the MCAMC. "Permission will be granted once they give their NOC (no objection certificate). The panel will also advise on music performances in public spaces,” said the official. At present, proposals related to designated heritage structures and precincts are regulated by the MHCC.