Pagoda Final.
Further ahead we decided the material that we are going to use for the holy water bowl. Initially we decided on terracotta clay bit because of the shortage of time we decided not to use it. Later we came onto POP(Plaster of Paris) as it is mouldable and will form a solid structure after it dries up. The carvings on the pillar and on the bowl are inspired from the carvings on the Pagoda and are made from eco-friendly clay which is also used to make Ganpati idols. Also, we painted our whole model with gold colour as gold is the element that dominated Pagoda. Originally there is water in the bowl but we put a mirror sheet so that you can see your reflection in it and that’s the whole point of our installation- ‘Self attainment’. (as Buddha followers don’t believe in worshipping idol but in self attainment)
The experience-
One would experience a transition from a chaotic surrounding to a calm one (exactly what we experienced when we visited the place). To support the chaotic space we added train track sounds and played it on the speaker as to disturb the person, we also pointed flash lights onto the persons face to put a strain on their eyes. After going through this the person enters a dark, calm room which has the installation, this will help him/her to experience the space through all the senses as there are no disturbances around. This space will soothe the eyes, ears and we also put eco-friendly clay beneath the mirror so that when one leans to look into it, he/ she will smell the clay which is dewy and calming, just like the smell of soil when it’s raining. This will refresh the person experiencing it and calm him/her down.
Experiencing the installation video-