Mapping the impact of public art in the creation of convivial culture

A case study of a public art exhibition at Sher Shah Colony, Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

“The indifferent A (4)rt” was a participatory public art exhibition that was held for 02 days in 2018. The exhibition was held in two different parks of a low-income housing society i.e., Sher Shah Colony, in Lahore. Sher Shah Colony is a designed housing facility located the in the southwest of Lahore. It is compressed between the highly commercialized locality of Raiwind and a chunk of agrarian land. (Figure 1)  Although the investigation of the development pattern of Sher Shah Colony is not the focus of this research however it is important to note that the colony has recently examined a dramatic shift in terms of population growth and has observed an astonishing pace of urbanization in its vicinities. The recent introduction of educational institutions, industrial faculty, and housing societies for the urban elite and middle class, connected through a network of fine roads, has contributed to shaping and altering the socio-built environment of the colony.  Planned on a perfect iron grid pattern, with an approximate area of 4600000 sqft, the colony is divided into 4 blocks namely A, B, C, and D. A park has been designed at the center of each block and two big parks have been allocated at the center of the colony.