Venkatesh has been running an isthri (ironing) business from a stationary pushcart on GN Chetty Road for over a decade. Last month, he was surprised when a group of youngsters approached him, inquiring about the business.
The youngsters volunteered to give his pushcart a makeover, free of cost, so that it would attract more customers. When Venkatesh was reluctant to take them up on this offer, the youngsters presented him with a detailed account of why and how they do this work. Finally convinced, he let them work on the pushcart.
After almost two weeks of work, which covered the aspects of planning, designing and installation, an animated image of Venkatesh on a waterproof exterior MDF (medium-density fibreboard) decorated the pushcart.
“When he saw the final product, he was excited; so much so that he started sharing the numbers of his brothers and cousins who had similar pushcarts in the locality,” smiles Karthik S.S., the brain behind this initiative, called Artend.
For Venkatesh, Artend now means a route to more business. For Karthik and his team at 108 Collective, a design and art consultation firm based in Chennai, this initiative is “a platform to unleash our creativity.” Co-founded with his wife Anuradha Subramanian, 108 Collective is known for giving a quirky and funky touch to the interiors of several resto bars and private spaces in the city. They have done art installations and environmental graphics for many clients.
“I have been wanting to do a non-commercial project in public space,” says Karthik. “Anuradha and I, therefore, came up with Artend. This initiative was zealously supported by our core team which includes Aqueel, Dibs, Epoch, Siken, Neesh, Ruben, Jonathan, Siva and Dhavalya.”
Artend, which made its début in May, is planned as a monthly activity for the team members, who choose the location, subject, material, art and style of execution.
“That’s the best part of Artend; no clients and no brief,” points out Karthik. “We are free to think and experiment; and most importantly, this set-up brings the team closer and the morale goes up. Collaborating with the common people will, in turn, help the team interact with clients better and come up with better projects.” Now that the 108 Collective team has completed one project, it is gearing up for its next project this month.
“For now, we have decided to give a facelift to more isthri pushcarts for three to four months. We will move on to another subject and medium after this.”
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