Mid-December 2022 saw the return of the three-month-long Mumbai Urban Art Festival (MUAF) Sassoon Dock Art Project Part 1, which will culminate on February 22, 2023.
Kicking off the street art event is the Start India and Asian Paints showcase at the Dock, from where the project will begin to paint the rest of the town, quite literally. You will experience art in Mumbai city through murals, exhibitions, and installations. The festival theme is Between the Sea and the City and is inspired by the city's sea-related history and the location of Part 1 of the project, the Sassoon Dock.
The Subject Matters
The theme is being expressed via diverse mediums, and at various locations across the city, throughout January and February. There will be the Sassoon Dock Art Project Part 2, and The AP Art House. Then the street art festival will make its way to other parts of Mumbai, such as Bandra, Mahim, and of course, Colaba. This multi-location aspect will enable Mumbaiites and visitors to experience urban art like never before and enjoy its different aspects.
As you overcome and get used to the dock-specific smells, remind yourself that it is part of the experience of the theme Between the Sea and the City. The smell of fish is part of the city and inseparable. Meanwhile, the building of the Sassoon Dock Art Project Part 1 is easy to spot, as it is covered with warli murals on a base of ocean blues and greens by the Vayeda Brothers and Andha Ras.
Art And Its Artists
Inside, you will see the works of art that interpret the relationship between the seas, oceans, and the cities they hem. Most of the work fills up entire sections of the well-lit warehouse portions, while others are nestled in dark rooms. You will have a tough time deciding which installation and expression you like the best, as each one will stir deeper into your consciousness. At the beginning is the installation the Sea Never Dries by Serge Attukwei Clottey, which is part of the artist's 17-year ongoing body of work and explores environmental protection and social justice. Then there is French artist Rero's Water Speaks, which tells the viewers about themselves, independence, magic, and tragic beauty, which informs us about our human fears. The installation has the artist's signature strikethrough typographic style and materials found at Sassoon Docks. This mural was realised by Arif Alam Khan. In a digital format, graphic designer Khyati Trehan presents The Texture Tourist, a crowdsourced catalogue of urban textures open to submissions on Instagram.
The Pipes and Leaks, an installation by Sajid Wajid Shaikh and Ronak Soni, is a visual and audio experience, as the sound of water overtakes the visual. More heady experiences wait for you at Parag Tandel's Vitamin Sea artwork, Naman Saraiya, and Nikita Rana's mixed media installation This Is A Photo Dump that takes over the men's washroom, while Koshy Brahmatmaj has done a similar takeover via What Beauty in the women's toilet. The third is by the Gaysi Family's Mirror Mirror, On The Wall, Do You See Us All Which creates a gender-neutral washroom. Keep your comfortable shoes at the ready it is the season to revel in art and culture in Mumbai.
The Information
What Mumbai Urban Art Festival&rsquos Start India and Asian Paints, Sassoon Dock Art Project Part 1
When December 22  to February 22, 2023
Where Sassoon Dock
For more information, visit https://www.instagram.com/startindia/hl=en.