3. HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Garima Tripathi
Working Title: Retreat in a Cave
INTENTION
ARTISTIC STUDY
I would like to build a cave at Annebergparken with the help of the local community. The caves are built in glazed ceramic at a high temperature that suits the outdoor environment.
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There will be engraved 'exhalation' on two of the stones in the caves. The cave will have a small stool that a person can sit on. The cave will be 2.5 meters in height and 2 meters in diameter at the bottom.
My sculpture stands for promoting mental well-being. Research shows that body-mind harmony can lead to a much better health outcome, even under conditions such as cancer / diabetes. We also know that a stressed / anxious / depressed mind will ruin a healthy body. Mindfulness is a path that is necessary for everyone and not just those who are clinically diagnosed. Often in the busyness of life we ​​do not allow ourselves to be mindful.
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The cave is an attempt to start the process of paying attention. It's a start - for loneliness / acceptance / attention. Once we are aware - we are always on that path and strive to be aware.
Photo: Sketch by Garima Tripathi
Photo: Sketch by Garima Tripathi
"I want the to make this cave where one person can sit inside a safe space and give themselves the permission to be in a retreat, to listen to their inner self. It will be a safe space to develop self-awareness. Also, given the history of the park, Cave is a gentle bridge between the outside community and Inside residents. It is about acceptance of mental health as an important aspect of everyone’s life."
Community Engagement
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Like a mountain of rocks or like a forest with tress, each rock/ tree is different and yet together they form a harmonious space. I want the community to get involved in leaving their individual marks in creating the cave. We will need batches of 10 people to carve bricks with pre defined tools. Carving is a soothing process so one is also experiencing better mental state while making the bricks.
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Each batch can easily carve 3 - 5 bricks or more and we can involve upto 15-20 local people in the whole project. Each carving session will be joyous for the participant and once these bricks are fired, they will have a connection to the final sculpture. Anyone in the age group of 18+ can join the carving session as no special expertise is needed and I will guide the process. We will also need local support from welders & concrete workers to form the foundation & understructure of the cave.
Project Production Plan
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The cave will be build of high fired glazed ceramic bricks. The bricks will be assembled on Metal rods and metal rods will be welded together. Entire cave structure will require a concrete foundation for future stability. Approx 120-140 bricks of 12 inches height and 6 inches diameter will be made. Each brick will be hand carved with the help of the community. Bricks will be glazed in a limited soothing and joyous palette of Blue/ Ochre/ Reds/ Green.
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Garima Tripathi is an Indian artist. She got her art education from traditional potters in Mumbai and School of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She has also been visiting artist at Ceramic studio at Harvard and artist residency at Golden Bridge Pottery, Pondicherry. Her work is influenced by Buddhist teachings that emphasise the non-dual understanding of the world.
She describes her art as an investigative process of inner world that can give both immense joy and suffering. The starting point of this path is retreat into self-awareness and the outcome is an embracing of the world in a non-judgemental way.
