SDA 2022 Entries

• Temporary Structure - A Temporary Structure that is not intended to remain where it is erected for more than a short period of time. This award focuses on the increase of temporary and pop-up structures being more sophisticated and aesthetical in their design

Completion Date: February 2020
Project Cost: Rs. 30,000/-
Earthen weaves a natural art outdoor installation that birthed from fibers and earth. Innovated from a traditional wattle and daub technique - it marries geometry and natural materials to build a parabolic structure using ropes from palm fibers enrobed with a mix of earth and coconut fibres.
The site is an empty plot, off a busy main road in the buzzing I.T sector of Bangalore. It has been leased by Masons Ink from a private owner to create participatory installations using natural materials to impart subversive social commentary to passers-by and also through active participation in making these installations. This semi-public art installation aims to create a visual message through an earthen sculpture. Earth is often seen as a rigid and bulky material, a material of the past and one that is overlooked by people today even if its available under one's feet. This sculpture tries to challenge this rhetoric by creating a fabric like fluidity using earth and fibre. This installation was done within a limited time of 2 days and a participation of 10 - 12 people on each day.
The decision for the sculpture to be made from earth and fibre came from the site keeping local availability and affordability of the materials in mind. The presence of informal slums(labour camps) about 500m from the site that uses unhealthy and poor quality materials for the shelters was also taken into consideration. The sculpture was successful in creating curiosity and starting a dialogue to bring about a positive change in the mind-set of the inhabitants of the neighboring temporary settlements.

Only local materials were used - the earth was gotten from the site itself and the coconut ropes and fibres from a local raw material market within 2 kms from site. The artificial green mesh is a waste product that was sourced from neighboring construction site and reused into the sculpture.

The decision for the sculpture to be made from earth and fibre came from the site keeping local availability and affordability of the materials in mind. The presence of informal slums(labour camps) about 500m from the site that uses unhealthy and poor quality materials for the shelters was also taken into consideration. The sculpture was successful in creating curiosity and starting a dialogue to bring about a positive change in the mind-set of the inhabitants of the neighboring temporary settlements.

Sourcing 100% natural material was a challenge, hence the team resorted to the reuse of construction waste from close by sites.

The structure was active from February 2020 - May 2020. The idea was that it slowly gets taken over by the weeds that grow on site and then finally disappear back into the soil. The few months that it was erect, the main purpose was to spread awareness on sustainabilty and introduce people to the concept of mud as a versatile material.