Scrap metal sculptures to give Periyakulam surreal makeover

Coimbatore: Five giant sculptures made out of scrap metal are getting ready to attract more visitors to Periyakulam lake, which was developed by the city corporation under the smart cities mission.Scrap metal sculptures featuring a vintage telephone, gramophone, car, hand pump and a talisman will be installed near the amphitheatre on the lakefront.Lights will be installed and the area will undergo landscaping to make the sculptures attractive, a corporation official said. “Only a handful of people visit the amphitheatre now. After the sculptures are installed, we are sure it will turn into a busy selfie spot,” he told TOI.Delhi-based With Waste Pvt Ltd has engaged artists from Tamil Nadu to carry out the work. “The work started on April 10. As much as 80% of the work has been completed and the rest is expected to be completed within five days,” the official added.The team, consisting of sculptors Yesvendiran and Sarath Kumar, is giving final touches to the installations. The project is being coordinated by Ramkumar Kannadasan, a national award-winning sculptor.The scrap materials required to make the sculptures were collected from the Coimbatore corporation’s main building and Bharathi Park. “Old light masts, iron pipes and steel sheets stored in the main building, and parts of abandoned vehicles parked at Bharathi Park were used for the project. Some materials were sourced from industrial units in the city. We shifted five tonnes of scrap materials to Periyakulam to make the sculptures,” Kumar said.The talisman will be decorated using e-waste, Kannadasan said. “The car sculpture is a symbolic representation of the city, which is known for industries that manufacture automobile spares and components.”Ramkumar was part of the team that built Waste to Wonder Park in New Delhi, which has the seven wonders of the world made of discarded materials. “I am happy to see concept art from scrap picking up in Tamil Nadu,” he added.