New Delhi's Lodhi Art Festival Transforms Walls
New Delhi's Lodhi Art Festival is making waves with a new crop of large-scale murals transforming the city's walls. The festival has become a magnet for local and international artists, showcasing how public art can energize urban spaces and foster community identity. The initiative demonstrates the growing global movement of street art festivals revitalizing city neighborhoods.
The Lodhi Art District is the country's first-ever public art district, a project initiated by the St+Art India Foundation in 2015. This non-profit organization aims to make art accessible to a wider audience by taking it out of traditional gallery spaces and into the public realm. The transformation of the Lodhi Colony, a government housing estate built in the 1940s, began with just a few murals and has since grown into a collection of over 65 artworks. The 2026 edition of the festival, running from February 1st to the 28th, marks the 10th anniversary of the Lodhi Art District. The theme for this milestone year is "Dilate All Art Spaces," which explores moving art beyond walls and into shared urban life through murals, performances, and community-led experiences. This year's festival features six new murals created by a diverse group of over 50 artists from around the world. International artists such as Elian Chali from Argentina, JuMu from Germany, and Pener from Poland are collaborating with Indian artists like Tarini Sethi and Ishaan Bharat. One of the new works is a collaborative mural between Spanish artist Suso33 and Indian artists Tarini Sethi and Ishaan Bharat, which blends Spanish graffiti with Indian motifs. Another mural, created by Goan artist Svabhu Kohli, brings to life the imaginative drawings of Ram Sangchoju, a 13-year-old specially-abled artist from Arunachal Pradesh, focusing on themes of ecology. A particularly poignant new piece is a typographic mural on water conservation designed by the late Hanif Kureshi, a co-founder of the St+Art India Foundation, in collaboration with UK-based artist Raisa Pardini. The design was completed shortly before Kureshi's passing in 2024, making it a powerful tribute to his legacy. Beyond the static murals, the festival incorporates moving art installations. Ten of the area's cycle rickshaws have been transformed into mobile artworks, designed by artists who have been associated with the district over the past decade, allowing the art to travel through the streets. The month-long event also includes workshops, panel discussions, and performances, such as the opening act "Elevation" by French artist Yoann Bourgeois.
