Satish Gujral Foundation roped in to preserve artist’s 60
The Satish Gujral Foundation has been tapped as a knowledge partner to safeguard the large‑scale murals painted by the artist on the façade of Shastri Bhawan, a government office slated for demolition under the Central Vista redevelopment project.
The Ministry of Culture has asked the National Gallery of Modern Art to oversee careful removal, documentation, conservation and eventual re‑installation of the six‑decade‑old works. Pilot studies are under way to decide the safest extraction technique, and a condition assessment will guide the final method.
While a permanent new home for the murals has not yet been chosen, the foundation stresses that any future setting must retain the pieces’ architectural scale, public accessibility and their place in India’s modern art legacy.
The demolition of Shastri Bhawan and the adjoining Krishi Bhawan will give way to two new office blocks, Kartavya Bhawan 4 and 5, as part of a Rs 3,218 crore Central Secretariat project, making the preservation effort a race against time.