The art installation at Biju Patnaik Park in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, April 8: Visitors who came to Biju Patnaik Park for a walk were in for a surprise yesterday evening. What they saw hasn’t been seen at other parks in the city and it was a first for this one too.

An art installation, Spirit of the Earth, greeted their eyes and aroused curiosity. Before long there ensued an energetic discussion between the evening walkers and artists. All notions that pieces of art could only be displayed at galleries were well and truly demolished.

Sculptor Smrutikant Ourt, whose creation it was, called it “public art”. It provided a platform to understand art and its role in our daily lives in a simpler way.

The idea behind Rout’s simple bamboo-based work was the energy emanating from the earth. “You consider it a fire or any form of energy. Our lives begin on earth and after life we go back into the earth. This is the story the installation tells. In the evening, the visual effect is quite good,” he said.

He said he had used bamboo to create the installation as the material is organic and eco-friendly. Using it also tells of one’s close relationship with Nature.

Mrutyunjay Tripathy, who is a regular walker at Biju Patnaik Park, was happy to see the installation. “This is the first time that I have seen an art installation at a public place. We are happy to see the art installation, understand it and interact with its creator. It is helpful for city residents to develop their view on art, especially young people and students who love art,” he said. Well-known artist Jagannath Panda, one of the organisers of the event, said: “In art installations, the light source from outside is used to illuminate the art work, but in this particular sculpture the artist has put the light source inside to give it a flame-like appearance. It is interesting to observe it with the green and dark foliage behind, in evening hours.”

The installation was part of a collaboration between the Utsha Foundation, an organisation formed by young artists, and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA).

On the occasion of the installation of the first-ever public art project in the city, the artists also organised an interactive session on art appreciation. Artists and others participated and discussed their ideas.

BDA vice-chairman Vishal Kumar Dev inaugurated the art installation. Artists Veejayant Dash, Soubhagya Pathy, critic Rahul Bhattacharya and activist Sujit Mohapatra spoke and took questions from the public. They also hinted at more such installations being put up in future in the city and other parts of the state.

“There is a notion that art appreciation is meant for the elite class. This is an attempt to take art to the public in such a way that it is easy for them to understand and appreciate. The idea was for visitors to a park, who are people from all walks of life and all age groups, to enjoy the creative idea of an artist. The installation explains a complex relationship with a simple medium and design,” Bhattacharya said.