Olek, one of the most famous street artists in the world, runs an art project based on social inclusion and womens' empowerment, between old traditions and cutting edge expression.
In this project, Olek wanted to focus the attention of Delhi society on local homeless shelters. With the help of Delhi's women the artist transformed the simple building into a work of art. The event was preceded by Olek’s crocheting course for the volunteers. The project was carried out in three weeks, with the help of over 60 women and with the use of 90km of yarn and fabrics.
As an active supporter of women's rights, sexual equality and freedom of expression, Olek has used the broad appeal of her work to display her solidarity with those stifled by oppressive laws worldwide. As we read on her Twitter account:
Part of my #publicart project in #India is to work with #refugees from #Afghanistan. For these #women…
As a part of the festival project Olek will create another installation: covering an entire DTC bus in crochet. The bus-turned-touring exhibition will travel around Delhi, letting passengers discover the best sites painted over the two editions of St+art festivals in Delhi.
Striving to catalyse positive change and to promote contemporary public art, women shelters, night shelters, flyover pillars, underpasses, and governmental buildings will become the sites of permanent murals or temporary art installations.
The St+art festival Delhi 2015 takes place from 1.02.2015 to 30.03.2015. Previous editions of the Delhi festival featured Mariusz M-City Waras, while the most recent Mumbai edition was visited by Seikon.
Olek – Agata Oleksiak – was born in 1978 in Silesia. In 2000, she received a BA in Cultural Studies from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland and relocated to New York City, where she is currently based. Olek’s work has been exhibited in galleries, museums and public spaces worldwide and featured in numerous publications such as TIME Magazine, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine and Newsweek. Olek is the recipient of the Ruth Mellon Award for sculpture in 2004, In Situ Artaq award (France) in 2011, and a grant in 2011 from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) for performance in public space. Olek’s residencies have included Sculpture Space in 2005, Instituto Sacatar (Brazil) in 2009 and AAI-LES in 2010. In 2008, Olek was the winner of the Apex Art competition. In 2010, the artist was commissioned by the Brooklyn Museum of Art for a one-day interactive performance installation. In 2012, Olek was part of the 40 Under 40: Craft Futures exhibition at the Smithsonian, for which her entire crocheted studio apartment was exhibited.
Sources: indianexpress.com, littleblackbookdelhi.com, st-artdelhi.org, polishinstitute.in. Edit. Agata Dudek, 23/03/15