Flower power

BENGALURU: Whether it’s a special moment of celebration or lifting up a dull mood, flowers always find a way to lighten these moments and more. In the current times, when people struggle to stay positive, city-based Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) has launched an initiative titled Bouquet of Hope, wherein they are encouraging people to submit a flower as a symbol of compassion to everyone feeling the blues. The image can be a photograph from one’s garden or balcony, or an artwork, an embroidered motif or anything floral. 

Since the launch of the website (bouquetofhope.in) on Saturday, the response has been overwhelming, with over 700 entries, says MAP founder Abhishek Poddar. He adds that the idea is borrowed from a surprise he and his sister had once arranged for his parents. “In 1989, my sister and I pulled off the surprise of their life for our parents’ silver wedding anniversary.

The idea was conceived about a year before that, when we requested 25 of India’s well-known artists to create a single flower, one for each year of our parents’ married life together till then,” says Poddar. He adds, “All we told our parents in the weeks leading up to the big day was that they were going to receive a very special bouquet of flowers from us.” When the day arrived, the ‘bouquet’ was quietly installed in their bedroom, while his parents were busy celebrating, the art curator recalls. “Their expressions of bewildered joy are unforgettable.”

While MAP hasn’t proposed a deadline for the contributions, he also aims to turn it into a global digital art collaborative, which stands to grow as a symbol of hope during this time of gloom. The picture gallery currently is a riot of colours, showcasing flowers in all their beauty and glory, ranging from marigold, lilies, hibiscus and bougainvillea to marble inlay work featuring delicate tulips and floral lacework. Among those who have contributed to the bouquet is Vinita Bali, an independent director on the global board of Cognizant and several other companies.

While Bali, an avid art lover, has submitted several images for this initiative, the pictures of roses from her garden that she clicked are among her favourites. She calls it a simple and compelling idea which anybody can connect with. “People admire beauty, and people love flowers. Thanks to cellphones it’s very easy for everybody to participate in this. Moreover, flowers are universal,” she says, adding, “We use flowers to greet, to appreciate, to offer to Gods, to liven up our spaces... and so much more. In this unprecedented time, a flower of hope is so relevant.”