The Walk of Shame at a street near Mindspace, Malad. Pic/Anurag Ahire
Mumbai-based street artist Tyler, based on votes received in the past 72 hours on Instagram for naming and shaming public personalities under the Walk of Shame project for I-Day, painted the first name — TV anchor Arnab Goswami — on a Malad street, a day ahead of Independence Day. Goswami secured 81% of the 4,062 votes polled.
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"Walk of Shame is the antithesis of Hollywood's Walk of Fame. We celebrate the most notorious personalities which have promoted ideologies that are detrimental to the society's growth," Tyler told mid-day. "On Independence Day, we celebrate freedom. As an artist, I want to honour freedom of expression."
When asked about the toughest part of creating the artwork, Tyler said: "To dodge the incessant rainfall."
Commenting on the chosen winner, Tyler said: "This is a direct and simple outcome of the comments section. There was no tampering whatsoever."
Tyler added: "Art is among the greatest forms of expression. We are being divided every single day. Our cultural diversity is being exploited for personal gains. It is not just vital for artists to express but also for people to observe and realise the true nature of events around them. To unite during such times is often the only path to bring change much like what our freedom fighters hoped for."
Goswami did not respond to requests for a comment till press time.
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