Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Flowers in Bloom in a Mental Institution

 
       I found this photo set particularly moving. I love photography of desolate buildings and abandoned lots. 
       There's a slightly disturbing quality, an eeriness that manifests itself in an empty space that was once 
       occupied. For some reason, the older the building, the more intriguing it is. I guess it's because the people 
       who either lived in, worked at, or visited those locations somehow left parts of themselves there - 
       whether it's the wear seen on the floors, a coffee stain on a side table, or fingerprint marks that build up 
       around a doorknob. It's strange, but you almost feel like life should still preside there simply because 
       there are remnants of it. There's always a sadness that seems to linger. However, the Bloom 
       remembrance project by Anna Schuleit brings beauty to a place that most people don't think about or 
       want to think about. Anna strategically placed 28,000 potted flowers and 5,600 square feet of sod in 
       various rooms of the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. The center was built almost a century ago as 
       the Boston Psychopathic Hospital. After it's purchase in 2009, the institution was marked for demolition, 
       and Bloom served as a means to bring awareness, reflection, and closure. The photos still evoke a sense 
       of melancholy, but it kind of reminds me of those moments when you're grieving but something or 
       someone manages to make you smile even though tears are streaming down your cheeks. 
       
       Image Source + Interview: This is Colossal
       Artist: Anna Schuleit
       Installation: Bloom


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