Environmental Art Project by Rahel Hegnauer

Leading Swiss environmental artist Rahel Hegnauer participates in the Mumbai Festival. [dated January 2009]

Leading Swiss environmental artist Rahel Hegnauer returns to India as part of the Festival's focus on the city and the need for positive change. Contributing to the Festival Umbrella activity at Khar Danda, Rahel will work with local architectural students on a temporary art installation to be displayed as part of local Festival activity between 27 and 31 January. The art installation will relate to the local community, a community that is diverse and vibrant.

January 2009 at Khar Danda, Mumbai

Details of Project:
A 2-week art intervention at a Koli village, Khar Danda, Mumbai. Final presentation on 27th and 28th January 2009 on the site, jettey, Khar Danda.

The project was realised during the Mumbai Festival in January 2009 as a collaborative project with Rahel Hegnauer (visual artist, Zurich, Switzerland) Vijaya Kumar S. (documentary film maker, Bangalore, India) 2nd year students of Rizvi Architecture College, Bandra, Mumbai and with the support of villagers of Khar Danda, especially the corporated fishing society. The objectiveof the project was to have a glimpse at an area (Koli village) which is gradually being encroached upon by the gentrification. Our aims were to research the life of a fishermen's community which is encircled by a megalopolis and to point out the fact that the accumulated waste along the seashore can no longer be ignored. The project consisted of 3 elements: - a site specific installation at the jettey (harbour at Khar Danda)
- 2 film essays
- (edition of) a newspaper

On 27th and 28th January the place became a temporary installation where the 3 elements of the project were presented together.

A site specific installation
The installation site was at the back of a tea-gambler-house at the jettey. This site is normally covered with litter, men use it to urinate and children to play marbles. On this site a platform was built around 3 decaying boats. It was designed on 3 different levels and in a sloping manner making it look like waves. This platform changed the site from a neglected to a (however only temporary) maintained and formed site. The platform could easily be mounted by everybody and enabled the visitor to see either inside the boats or to climb further up onto the boats. The platform invited people to use the site as a place to sit, chat or play. The place around the platform had been cleaned by the project group.

(Edition of a) newspaper The newspaper assembles different issues related to the history of Khar Danda, the life of the fishermen's community, the architectural structure of the buildings and the future of the fishermen and their community. The newspaper was written in Marathi, the local language. 1000 copies of the newspaper were printed, displayed on the site and distributed among the villagers.

Concept/idea of project (newspaper, film and installation) and site: Rahel Hegnauer
Structure and communication of project: Vijaya Kumar S.
Concept/idea, directing, editing of film: Vijaya Kumar S.
Concept, realisation of newspaper: Gauri Abhyankkar, Yogesh Govardhane
Design of platform: Rahel Hegnauer
Assistant to film and installation: Heena Shaik, Aliasgar Poonawala, Huzefa Bhal, Jiger Mehta, Ishan Vora.

With the friendly support of the corporated fishing society.

Mumbai, 2009