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Chennai's Smog Paints Art on City Walls
10 Feb
Summary
- Art exhibition uses polluted air as its medium on city walls.
- Smog plates were installed in 14 pollution hotspots across Chennai.
- Campaign highlights health impacts, like children's respiratory issues.
An art campaign titled 'Pugai Padam: When Smog Makes Art' has opened in Chennai, employing the city's polluted air as its artistic medium. Organized by the Pugai Padam Collective, the three-day event, which began on February 4, 2026, seeks to draw attention to Chennai's escalating air pollution crisis. The exhibition features framed stencils on walls, depicting images like birds, sunrises, fish, and butterflies rendered in shades of grey, created entirely by airborne pollutants.
The core of the exhibition includes 'smog plates,' inspired by artist Kim Abeles. These plates were strategically placed in 14 identified pollution hotspots across the city for over a month to collect particulate matter. Each plate features a unique stencil reflecting the local environment, such as a belt for the leather tannery area of Chromepet or a plastic cover for the Kodungaiyur dump yard. Photographs and captions accompany these artworks, detailing the pollution's origin and its impact on resident families.
Additional installations include comparisons of healthy and polluted lungs through chest X-rays and a child's school uniform from Kattukuppam, noting frequent coughing and vomiting among local children. A play, 'Maasu Kadhaigal,' performed by youth from the Arunodaya Centre, shares stories of illness and hardship caused by toxic air. The exhibition runs until February 8, 2026, from 3 pm to 7 pm.
