Weekend fun 1: Kala Ghoda turns a shade greener

Since its inception in 1999, this festival has held sway over Mumbai, and this year is no different.

Installations at The Times of India Kala Ghoda Arts Festival seem to get better with each edition. They certainly seem to be getting ‘greener’ over the last few years.

While a handful of brands like Vespa drew attention for their installations, individuals and non-profit organisations have used art to motivate people to switch to cycling, and highlighted issues like recycling and women’s safety.

Here are some glimpses from this year’s festival:

Vespa means wasp in Italian

 

A few NGOs also made an attempt to touch upon the fear that's been entrenched in the minds of womenfolk post the Delhi rape case.

One could see the digital evolution of the festival quite clearly. Some of the stalls had barcodes on them. The 'Like us on Facebook' and 'Follow us on Twitter' feature were seen on a few stalls too.

Besides numerous installations depicting Mumbai as a brand (installations of Dabbawallahs, local trains, Wankhede stadium, et al), there was one mannequin that caught our attention for its message:

The explanation: How brands have made individuals homogeneous and killed differentiation. Simply put, we are all going to the same high-end retail outlets and buying the same brands, leaving less or no scope of distinctiveness.

Something to think things over for brands, before the consumers do? 

Also check: Images from The Times of India Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2013