At India Art Fair, a 'wishing tree' that sensitises

Artist Nobina Gupta's installation at the upcoming India Art Fair (IAF) is a tree made of steel. "The Wishing Tree", she hopes, will be able to sensitise visitors to the dangers human beings pose to the earth.

The 12-feet-tall installation is in the shape of a banyan tree. The Kolkata-based artist's "Kalpataru" art work will use sound-and-light to make a statement about the state of the environment. The fair begins Jan 30.

"Our wishes have gone beyond normal desire, and we have become greedy. This might lead, one day to a time when generations will arrive at a museum to see what a tree looked like. That's just a thought, but a scary one indeed," Gupta told IANS over the phone.

"I have used the medium of this sound-and-light installation to communicate with visitors. I hope to trigger and raise questions in the mind of the audience with this interactive medium," she said, adding a loop of mixed sounds in the background would run simultaneously with three different lights.

"Kalpa means wishing and taru means tree," said the artist, who has used steel for its stability and durability.

Green, purple and golden-yellow have been used in the work. The 41-year-artist represents, through the use of colour, bio-diversity, and the contribution of mankind to its destruction.

"Green stands for the environment, and it will be supported by the sound of birds chirping, and of waterfall. Purple denotes exploitation and destruction of nature, and it will be supported by the sound of construction. The golden colour means wealth, and people will hear the sound of coins," Gupta said, adding the sensors would be used to "shock" visitors.

"The overall effect should set people thinking," the artist said.