BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the open air museum of scrap sculptures at Kalinga Vihar in the City on Tuesday. On the occasion, Naveen said the Waste-to-Art museum is a wonderful initiative to sensitize people about the ecology and environment. The museum has been created as part of the State’s first International Public Art Symposium (IPAS). As many as 21 artists from 16 countries including France, Germany, South Africa, England, Belgium, New Zealand and Spain participated in the IPAS, held from November 1 to 19, and created art and sculptures from waste materials.
The art symposium was organised by Artists’ Network Promoting Indian Culture (ANPIC) in partnership with Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
International artists have created 24 sculptures including that of an elephant, lion, peacock and tiger from waste. Nearly 50 tonnes of waste, mainly metals and plastics collected from different parts of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, has been used for the creation of the sculptures.
Sources said the museum will be developed in a phased manner for which the BDA has provided around 5 acres of land.“As per the plan, parking space, pathways and greenery will be developed and other landscaping work carried out at the site to give the museum a unique ambience,’’ said BDA officer-in-charge for Bhubaneswar Open Air Museum Bhabani Shankar Chayani. Themed on ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’, it would serve as the only open-air public Waste-to-Art museum in the State, he said.
Visitors will be allowed inside the museum between 10 am and 4 pm every day. On the first day, the museum witnessed a footfall of over 3000, BDA officials said and added that the number of visitors will increase as more people will come to the City in next few days for the upcoming Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup.