Aircraft shifted to HAL due to metro project work in 2009 returns to Minsk Square as a sculpture

BENGALURU: A made-to-scale stainless steel model of an aircraft, sculpted by artist Yusuf Arakkal and funded by Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, could soon adorn Minsk Square in the heart of Bengaluru.

Shaw's office has sought city corporation's permission to install the 25x25 ft rendition of an aircraft taking off, on the newly-opened Cubbon Road near the Minsk Square intersection.

Minsk Square earlier displayed an Ajeet aircraft, a 1975-make singleseater interceptor that was decom missioned in 1991.It was shifted to HAL to make way for the Bengaluru Metro project work in 2009.

"This is an actual, basic form of a latest aircraft on the lines of the delta wing (triangular) configuration found on MiG-31 or F-16 fighter planes. I have an aircraft engineering background, you know," said the 70year old artist.

The Rs 30-lakh model called 'Science and Technology Takes Off ', was originally commissioned by Shaw to be installed at the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM). Shaw wanted to adopt the museum under the governmnet's `Adopt a Tourism Destination' pro gramme.

As VITM and Biocon could not come up with mutually agreeable terms for the adoption, the plan fell through. Biocon also decided to install the sculpture somewhere else."My preference was to put this at VITM, because I'm a huge admirer of Sir M Visvesvaraya," Arakkal said."But Minsk Square will give it a good audience."

As it turns out, the adoption plan and the sculpture were not connected. "From our end, we had no issues with the sculpture being installed," VITM Director KG Kumar said.

Shaw's preference is Minsk Square."We can put it anywhere, but Minsk Square, which has been reopened, seems ideal because the HAL office is there. It could even be on the airport road. We are yet to receive permission," Shaw told ET.

Municipal Commissioner G Kumar Naik said he is yet to receive the proposal but responded positively when asked about it. "Bengaluru is in bad need of good urban art and architecture," he said.