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French graffiti artists plan tribute for Mumbai

While planning their next trip, they had decided to paint a tribute to Bollywood. But 26\11 changed it all.

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NEW DELHI: When French graffiti artists Martin Dezer, Julien Migwel and Ken Keflione came to Mumbai in March 2008, it quickly became one of their favourite places to paint.

They were surprised by the open mindedness of the people and the enthusiasm toward an art form that is scorned at by many in the west as 'defacing property'.
 
While planning their next trip, they had decided to paint a tribute to Bollywood. But 26\11 changed it all. Now in Delhi, the artists want to do a piece in memory of those who lost their lives in the terror attacks.
 
"We need to find a wall in Delhi. We had gone to Mumbai earlier and so it felt really strange hearing what happened there. We want to do something in memory of those who died," says Dezer.
 
The trio are in Delhi as a part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of The Human Rights Declaration being organised by Alliance France.

Dezer, the eldest member in the group says,"Graffiti is an invented art. It first began in New York neighborhoods, in a society full of violence and repression. So youngsters just found out this new way of expression,taking from what they saw around them."
 
Dezer who had been graffiteing for the past fifteen years began by painting subways and trains. Now he looks back at it as plain foolhardiness.
     
"I would graffiti the subway not realising how dangerous it was. People have died of electrocution and accidents while attempting that."
     
Now when he conducts workshops for children where he advises them to find legal space for graffiti.
     
Ken Keflione who has worked on street experimentations, finds India a fascinating experience. "Graffiti in New York and Paris would be pretty much the same.
 
But in India it is completely different because of the cultural context. Indian calligraphy is really striking.After going back from Mumbai, I came back by myself to explore more of it," says Ken.
 
The three artists had come together when they collaborated on an edition of the magazine 'Soap' which brings together graphics, graffiti and music.
 
Julien Migwel who brings out the magazine, believes that graffiti is the only art form which does not follow any specific rules and therefore allows plenty of room for innovation.
 
"Graffiti has a long history but no rules.Traditional 'Kolam' drawings found in South India are a perfect example of graffiti for me,just that they use rice powder instead of spray paint. Over the years graffiti has taken on apolitical colour, but it is essentially a medium of expression," said Migwel.
 
The team has displayed their art at many venues in the country including Mumbai, Bhopal (where they remember painting on rocks because they couldn't find a wall), Bangalore, Cochin and now in Delhi. In Delhi for a week, the three graffiti artists will also collaborate with artists from the city's slum areas and create pieces on the walls of the slums.

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