Mahatma Gandhi Mural at ITO

In January 2014, during the St+art Delhi festival, the Delhi Police Headquarters at ITO featured a collaboration between St+art India Foundation and a government body. German artist Hendrick ECB and Indian artist Anpu created a 152-foot mural of Mahatma Gandhi, India’s tallest Gandhi mural. Using the tallest industrial crane and a postcard-sized image as a reference, the project was completed in five days. The mural was finished just before India’s Republic Day, with artists working 12-hour shifts amid parade rehearsals. They used a rooftop vantage point on a nearby mosque to review and plan their work. This mural symbolizes a pioneering moment for art in public institutions, reflecting India’s progressive integration of culture into government spaces. Its inauguration by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on January 30, 2014, highlighted art’s role in bridging public spaces and cultural dialogue.