Last updated: December 21, 2022, 8:13 PM IST
The Dutch Embassy supports multi-city murals commemorating 75 years of cultural ties between India and the Netherlands
The Dutch Embassy supports multi-city murals commemorating 75 years of cultural ties between India and the Netherlands
To celebrate 75 years of bilateral relations between India and the Netherlands, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands together with Dutch and New Delhi-based artists unveiled a mural project in the Nizamuddin district of Delhi.
Hon’ble Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Culture of India, Dear Mr. Paul Huijts, Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and HE Mr. Marten van den Berg, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to India, Nepal and Bhutan have mural was inaugurated, a milestone in Indisch-Dutch friendship. The inauguration was graced by representatives of the government and the cultural sector.
The dreamy, lively painting comes as a gift from the Netherlands to India. In the Delhi mural, viewers can see an Indian woman accompanied by a tiger. The two figures represent India in all its splendour. Because the Netherlands is known for its water management and Delft Blue ceramics, these visual motifs were chosen to represent the Netherlands in the mural. The background in orange is a color common to both countries – in the Indian flag and in reference to the family name of the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau.
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Work on the mural began when a pioneering public art company Delhi Street Art invited two Dutch street artists, Roelof van Schierbeek and Laxmi Prithipalsingh, to create large murals depicting Dutch-Indian connections in Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi. The Bengaluru mural depicts the lion – formerly the national animal of India and symbol of strength in the Dutch royal family – in a prominent place in Bengaluru. The mural in Mumbai portrays the contrast between Indian and Dutch culture. A striking image of an Indian woman, dazzling in her traditional jewellery, makes her dream of visiting the Netherlands one day.
“The cultural bond and cooperation between India and the Netherlands has a long, glorious history and this year marks an important milestone as the ‘maitri’ between the two countries is 75 years old. Celebrating creativity and diversity, this inspiring wall art project brought together art and artists from two different parts of the world, strengthening the human-to-human connection between India and the Netherlands and laying the foundations for rich cultural exchange between the nations. We hope that the public will enjoy and appreciate this addition to Delhi’s vibrant public art,” said Paul Huijts, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
In the coming weeks, Delhiites will be able to see three more mural projects unveiled as part of the collaborative creative effort.
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