A Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) railway station has been converted into a giant canvas to create awareness of the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The mural on the outer portion of the sprawling Indira Nagar railway station aims to take the ‘We Are’ campaign, initiated by the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS), to the masses.
TANSACS, in collaboration with Southern Railway and sponsored by TIDEL Park and a few other companies, has put on display the portraits of 10 different individuals as part of a World AIDS Day awareness event. It is one of the biggest artworks in the State.
Deepak Jacob, project director, TANSACS, said the campaign was started last year as part of World AIDS Day, observed on December 1. The theme ‘We Are’ expresses solidarity in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and this was done through portraits and urban art elements, he said.
Work started last year
The work on the mural started on December 11 last year, and the painting would be completed in the next two days, Mr. Jacob said. He said the panoramic mural was designed by street artists Siddharth Gohil and A-Kill.
Southern Railway General Manager John Thomas, during the 72nd Republic Day address held at the railway stadium in Perambur, congratulated the street artists and TANSACS for the mural and for successfully showcasing the hopeful stories of AIDS survivors.
The mural has been done along the lines of the paintings in the tenements of the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) in Kannagi Nagar.