Art on the Metro, say what?

Now that the weather had improved and the rain clouds didnrsquot threaten so much Sir PM felt brave enough to suggest returning to the Cooperage Bandstand for his weekly adda sessions with Lady Flora He was too embarrassed to say it out loud but he missed his friend and walking companion for two weeks She had been away for a Parisian break with her cousins from the IslesldquoAh There you are my dear Pherozerdquo exclaimed Lady Flora from afar She looked refreshed after her holiday Sir PM could tell ldquoSo good to see you Yoursquove lost weighthellipeverything okayrdquo she enquired as she pushed a brown paper bag filled with chocolates into her friendrsquos hand He peeped into it and thanked his friend ldquoTell me all How was Paris What new experiences did you discoverrdquo Sir PM was curious His friend was more than happy to share her bagful of insights and moments from what was her fifth visit to the cityThe duo chatted for an hour under one of the canopies as the soft light of the October evening sky made for a pleasant setting ldquoThe Louvre was on top of my list Pheroze and as yoursquod vouch for it was spectacular Even that word doesnrsquot do justice to the displays and galleries But what struck me particularly this time was the LouvreRivoli Metro station that I used to get back and forth from the museum I was speechless I learnt from my cousin Grace that decades ago in the late 1960s the then Ministry of Culture had initiated the idea of transforming the station into an antechamber of the museum As I stepped in and out I was treated to stunning works of artmdashall copiesmdashof the art from the museum There is no advertising and instead there are displays of exhibits All I could do after those few visitsmdashyes one trip simply isnrsquot enough especially since I was visiting after decadesmdashis compare notes with what we saw recently on that first ride on Metro IIIrdquoSir PM knew what was coming ldquoAnd let me guesshellip you were disappointed at what we witnessed here The grey dull interiors that resemble stainless steel mini ecosystems in fact I suspect that the airconditioners and the stillclean surroundings are the big gains at our stations Though I read that the ridership isnrsquot as high as they had anticipated Forget about art and comparing it to that amazing Louvre station I donrsquot recall seeing trash bins or the even more important spittoons Heaven help us if those paan and tobaccoeating monsters begin their spitting marathonsrdquo Lady Flora was frowning and it had covered most of her face ldquoI overheard from my pedestal that even the escalators werenrsquot up to the mark at the BKC station And here I was imagining that art would be showcased to give some character to the otherwisefactorylike ambiance Surely we are way cooler than this We gave talented artists and photographers whose works can be displayed on a rotation basis All those years ago while travelling on the Calcutta Metro I noticed themedriven art on the facades of the underground stationsmdashRabindra Sadan had Santiniketaninspired art while the Maidan station had illustrations to represent sporting disciplinesrdquoSir PM interrupted his friend hesitantly ldquoOur expectations have hit the roof Letrsquos be practical You and I are already aware of the teething issues So I think it would be prudent to take small steps expectationswise Sure we feel that art will lighten up the experience and some inspired souls will realise that these stations could do with colour and character The Calcutta Metro is an apt example We must commend those Bengalis when it comes to promoting their cityrsquos highlights We could easily depict the mangroves for BKC station and Warli art for the Aarey station to salute these resilient inhabitants who live inside the National Parkrdquo he smiledLady Flora knew it was wishful thinking Deep down both friends were aware that Bombaywallahs wanted the basics right for starters Art can wait But at some level this miss they felt reflects the general apathy towards arts and culture in the cityrsquos everyday existence If it lsquois upgradingrsquomdashas the tagline goesmdasha culturally rich and diverse city like ours surely deserves better than uninspiring templatedriven stationsmiddayrsquos Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the cityrsquos sights sounds smells and stoneswherever the ink and the inclination takes her She tweets bombayanaSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycom