Nek Chand is a self-taught artist in India, who has built a most
wonderful
25 acre public art piece.   It is in jeopardy.   Your help is needed.


Please help Raw Vision and SPACES save the Rock Garden of Chandigarh.


NEK CHAND         The untutored genius who built a paradise.

One day 36 years ago, Nek Chand, a humble transport official in the north
Indian city of Chandigarh, began to clear a little patch of jungle to
make himself a small garden area. He set stones around the little
clearing and before long had sculpted a few figures recycled from
materials he found at hand. Gradually Nek Chand's creation developed and
grew; before long it covered several acres and comprised of hundreds of
sculptures set in a series of interlinking courtyards.

After his normal working day Chand worked at night, in total secrecy for
fear of being discovered by
the authorities.When they did discover Chand's garden, local government
officials were thrown into turmoil. The creation was completely illegal -
a development in a forbidden area which by rights should be demolished.
The outcome, however, was the enlightened decision to give Nek Chand a
salary so that he could concentrate full-time on his work, plus a
workforce of fifty labourers. Nek Chand's great work received immediate
recognition and was inaugurated as The Rock Garden of Chandigarh.

Now over twenty five acres of several thousand sculptures are set in
large mosaic courtyards linked
by walled paths and deep gorges, Nek Chand's creation also combines huge
buildings with a series of interlinking waterfalls. The Rock Garden is
now acknowledged as one of the modern wonders of the world. Over 5000
visitors each day, some 12 million people so far, walk around this vast
creation -
the greatest artistic achievement seen in India since the Taj Mahal.

Rock Garden Under Attack - Outrage in Chandigarh

On a two month trip to Britain and the USA Nek Chand gave presentations
at the Asia Society in
New York and at the Kohler Foundation in Wisconsin. He also gave
presentations in Chicago and
Los Angeles and visited Boston, Washington, and Baltimore. He received
honours in both New York and Los Angeles.

After returning to India Nek Chand was shocked to find that the
Chandigarh Administration, who are responsible for the upkeep and
security of the site, had removed the skilled labour force and left the
property completely unguarded the very day after he left for his tour of
the USA.

Furthermore, the Rock Garden had been attacked and many sculptures and
part of the environment were smashed up. Some are now in the process of
repair, others are destroyed forever.




Over the last few years the Rock Garden has deliberately been starved of
funds. Nek Chand is not even allowed to use the entrance money for the
maintenance of the Garden and now there are no funds at all to finish the
final phase of construction.

A few years ago the Chandigarh Administration attempted to build a road,
for the use of VIPs and high officials, through the Rock Garden. They
lost this battle with Nek Chand in the High Court and now they are taking
their revenge. They have not only attacked a masterpiece of environmental
art but have also seen to it that over the last few years Nek Chand has
been starved of funds. Although he reckons that with proper funding his
work on the Rock garden could be completed in about six months, funds
from the Administration have dried up even after his victory in the court
case.

The Rock Garden is in real danger. Nek Chand needs our help. He has given
his gift to the world and it is up to the international community to make
as much of a protest as possible to save it.

We need short letters of support for Nek Chand and protest for the
current conditions sent to the people below. If you have an institutional
letterhead, are connected with a museum or university, all the better.
Please write as soon as possible, and to as many as you can manage.

Mr H. D. Deve Gowda, Prime Minister of India, South Block, New Delhi
110011.
Mr S. D. Sharma, President of India, President's Secretariat, New Delhi
110011

If you wish, letters can be forwarded by Raw Vision and  SPACES. If you
send your letters via us, they can be copied, duplicated and then sent to
all the necessary people and the appropriate media.

If in the United States send your letters to SPACES, 1804 North Van Ness,
Los Angeles, CA 90028-5615 and they will be forwarded to India.

If in Europe send your letters to Raw Vision, 42 Llanvanor Road, London,
NW2 2AP UK and they will be forwarded to India.

A letter is better - but email is also helpful. Those of you without
institutional stationary can email
Raw Vision at         [log in to unmask]

If you have addresses of INDIVIDUALS in other countries who would be
interested in the above please forward this message. If you know of
organizations who might post this from their email or web site, PLEASE
LET US KNOW. 100 people sending a copy of this to the same group will
drive them crazy.








In an open letter to RAW VISION readers, Nek Chand reports:

"I must thank you for your concern for the Rock garden and its
sculptures. And really, it is painful for
me when I see that the very people who should guard this public property,
encourage destructive elements. There is so much of jealous and negative
outlook being seen and faced by me that it really puts me off from my
creative work. But then, I feel that if I succumb to such pressures and
techniques by not applying my mind on creating something new, that means
the negative elements I am referring
to are succeeding in their game plan. The enemies of art should be
exposed in public through various means of the media. I urge your
readers, those that hold art dear to their hearts, to write letters to
prominent people in India to express their outrage at what has happened.

"My worst enemy is the top bureaucrat of Chandigarh, Mr. Pardeep Mehra,
Advisor to the Administrator. Although he is supposed to have complete
control over public property he never visits the Rock Garden, even though
he goes to every nook and corner of Chandigarh. Three times I have tried
to see him and on each occasion he has kept me waiting outside his office
for over two hours and still claims to be too busy to see me. He and
others in the I.A.S. (Indian Administration Service) have done everything
to hinder the progress of the Rock Garden. Since 1988 work has only been
able to continue in fits and starts, depending on the fancies of
administrative officers. I have seen that any sympathetic official is
soon transferred elsewhere. It is a pure burning red jealousy, defying
all the norms of rationality. They will not even allow me to use the
entrance money for the maintenance of
the Garden and now there are no funds at all to finish the construction.

"The Administration should be questioned as to why the skilled labour
force responsible for looking after the Rock Garden were removed the very
day after I left for my tour of the USA. Was it not an intentional act to
harm the Rock Garden. The vandalism in my absence was not directed at the
sculptures but at Nek Chand as they very well know that my heart and soul
lives in them.

"The sculptures are being repaired but their originality is gone for ever
as they will be like a man
whose leg or arm has been bandaged after injury. Although I'll put in the
best in myself the sculptures are damaged all over the area and the fury
of the vandalism can be gazed from the fact that even a large wall
painstakingly made of thousands of pebbles has been terribly damaged.

"The Rock Garden is not only the property of Chandigarh, or even India.
It belongs to the people of the world and I appeal for their help in
saving my Kingdom."


Nek Chand


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comments?   213-463-1629  Seymour Rosen SPACES or [log in to unmask]