Art Instillation for the smokers by a smoker!

 The latest buzz in the country is about the new law with the ban on smoking in all public spaces. And so sprouted out a smokers voice himself for a change to support the cause. A voice in the form of an instillation, or rather should I say a very “moving” instillation. Baiju Sugathan, hailing from an advertising and design agency marketing background told me one evening that he loved to do something beyond just his job and was very passionate about some ideas addressing social issues and wanted to chern them out as an instillation. Timely indeed came out the law and out came the idea of the instillation titled “passive smoking kills” by Baiju.

The art instillation at Divyashree Chambers

aerial view of the art instillation

 Baiju conceptualised the whole intillation by relating passive smoking with the concept of Sati. “You remember the traditional act of Sati?”, said Baiju to me with the most excited tone I have heard him in. “Well, just like how the mans death impacts his wife’s too, I want to show the consequences in a metaphor to passive smoking too. I want this as my first subject as the instillation”, continued Baiju on a positive note. And thus unfolded his first dream of an instillation reaching out to many. Baiju decided to move the crowd by shocasing a death scene right at the centre of the atrium of the building, and chose to have a male character who was portraying the head of a family lie dead on a crematory bed of cigarettes and surrounded by his dead family around him as an impact. And well…well was the crowd moved or what?

 

crowd viewing the instillation from around the atrium

 

artist Baiju interacting with the crowd

 The instillation was showcased on 6th October, 2008 at the central atrium of Divyashree Chambers with an outstanding response from the viewing crowd as well as the supporting organization. Baiju’s next action would be to showcase the instillation at yet another location…reaching out his message to more people. And whats his next ideated venture? Well thats something we all have to wait and watch!