Never known before …..Never seen before!!

Mural in Shahpurjat
- Sanaya, Shruti, Srishti, Anukriti main road

“Few people go to art exhibitions. The power of Street Art is that it goes to people’s daily life to be seen.”
- iNO

burst of markets, colours, a dash of creativity and freedom of expression – Delhi’s tiny urban village, Shahpur Jat, showcases it all. From people busy in those compact
streets to paintings on the old walls, making it a focal point due to old Siri fort wall surrounding, this place narrates a story of unknown people and their life.

Street art, a story on walls and within walls in itself recites the inner emotions of people who are lost in today’s fast moving world, making the experience so dynamic for both
the residents and the visitors. These art murals might grab the attention of people like us, whose task was to explore the unexplored, but what about the natives residing there?
Have they ever wondered why those paintings grab so much attention? Does that street art make a difference in their lives or is it just another poster stuck on the walls?

It was intriguing to analyse how this once sleepy village is now transformed into South Delhi’s designer’s shopping hub, creating a rural-urban melting point for thousands, but
after our journey to the deepest and the darkest parts of this urban village, it seems like though it is no more isolated and indifferent towards commercial trends but there
surely is a presence of blasé attitude towards the art they see every waking hours of their life.

“Pata nhi maam…itne dhyan se nahi dekkte ab”

“Acha advertisement hai…”

- Local Shop owner

It is not an unknown fact on how a sense of blasé attitude has embedded its roots in the lives of people, and this lack of care that residents of shahpurjat portrayed towards
the artworks was not at all astonishing. But what was unknown was the past reactions towards them and the light of hope they felt in the beginning.

“It used to be very exciting at the start ….just another painting on the wall that is hard to maintain now…!”

- Boutique Owner in Fashion Street

When the first mural was created on the walls of shahpurjat, people were excited and ready to embrace the dynamic changes that the art would bring with it. Residents were
elated to witness how these beautiful artwork could tell so many stories without any words, about the social challenges that they faced but never had strength to combat,
making it being recognised as something that is subversive. Realising how their life’s problems from gender inequality to domestic violence was depicted in such raw manner
for even the illiterates to understand, made these murals intriguing and a god’s send gift to them. With years, the business of boutiques started flourishing, attracting people
from far off lands to shop and appreciate the artworks dominating every street of the village. This phenomena led to the creation of “culture of shahpurjat”, where tourists not
just came to shop and spend quality time with their partners, but also to understand and analyse the meaning behind the beauty that murals showcased.

How from loving the attention, a note of irritation was seen on the faces which ones proudly narrated the meaning behind every creation. It is never
an overnight transformation, people change with changing times, and it seems the culture of shahpurjat has also changed. Whether people got bored of the art or just don’t
care anymore due to the inconsistency in the creation of artworks, is still unknown.

But what we came across was a perspective about how when asked about this growing gap to a regular customer in a shop, a simple answer of how the so called ‘street art
culture’ of shahpur has become a myth.

There is no denying the fact that the minds are ruled by myths, of culture of a place being “fixed and timeless” which does not belong to people and can’t be questioned. People
of shahpur, whether shop owner, or a seemingly well off resident, narrated to us how the presumption that these collective identities of past can’t be modified and can just be
transmitted to future generations is unreasonable as history clearly shows that identities of local communities change over time.

“Kon ayega aise galiyon mein paintings dekhne.” - As said by one of many, simply highlights the changing perspectives within the community.

The beautiful thing to notice about street art is that it’s not really outside, taking art out of the galleries and putting it out on the street, affecting the lives of people outside.
This notion has changed its meaning throughout the years. Where once it might have impacted the business of shops, created curiosity amongst residents and ingrained
something lasting in the minds of people visiting, but now the reality is completely different.

“Does it make a difference in your business and life?

“Not really, we are used to it now…something new is created, then after some days forgotten like a movie in theatres, the banner would change…”

“No one enters the dirty and dark streets to just see these arts anymore”

While navigating the paths of urban villages, the women were eager to show us the streets leading to artworks but one could clearly see questions on their faces. Questions
not entailing why we have come to witness such street arts as they were well aware of how famous these murals of their home were to people outside, but an inquiry of why
we people still want to study their beauty when they are not even in good condition. Some are already on the verge of disappearing and others are already washed off.
So early in our visit, we realised how these natives are no more interested to retell the stories of these arts that camouflage with their lifestyle. Down the darkest streets,
children had no idea of art in their homes but labelled it merely as advertisements.

Following the directions of people, we reached a house that looked a little better maintained than others in the village with a beautiful artwork of the Indian army force in their
entrance gates. An art which was privately curated to celebrate the lives of the unsung heroes. This in a way brought a differ perspective into light about how a self-initiation
to create art can stir much more appreciation of it than an artwork on a regular basis curated by others in their home. Though even with a slight deviation from blasé nature,
the current situation still remains the same as people seemed blank about the art and an ‘untitled’ feeling of having no belonging in their hearts could be felt.

Murals in Shahpurjat
Residential locality

Street art can have so much impact on the psychology of a person, that signifies the purity of it in its rawest form, but the fabric of shahpurjat just seemed over it.

Fine line of cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation….

- Sharon Zukin

The murals that became the identity of the culture of shahpurjat, still appropriate? Is the lack of proper appreciation of it reducing its value and cultural essence? Forms of
artworks are a medium of expression for the people of the city- or a neighborhood in particular, enabling the art to act as a means for people to voice their socio-cultural and
political views, establishing their identity and ownership of the neighborhood. Asserting their presence in the society and gaining a sense of belonging, aided in gaining an
understanding of the culture in a deeper level entailing the day to day lives of the residents. Recognition due to art came in both aspects, for residents as well as the curators
of such artworks, showcasing the talent beyond what is known.

A sense of belonging which the old shahpur Jat lacked was accomplished by these art murals, but sadly due to lack of drive to cherish them has led us to a position to question
the once cherished beauty. With their streets cramped and difficulty in locating one selves in the fabric, a sense of disconnection is felt while trying to discover the art embedded
deep in the streets.

It loses its value!!