Living in tune with nature or going back to nature, for some, would warrant shunning an urban lifestyle and retreating to the countryside and accepting the lifestyle with both its perks and limitations. But for the majority, it’s about trying to bridge the gap between nature and concrete jungle within a burgeoning metropolis. Capitalising on this, real estate firms claim that their projects help people live closer to nature. Eighty per cent greenery and 20 per cent built-up spaces, life in the lap of nature, homes that replicate a resort atmosphere… the promises are dime a dozen. Real estate projects are often pitched to be friendly for elders and children, while not being too far away from the city for a working couple. What would happen if these claims were true and Nature decides to reassert itself for such projects?
Soazic Guezennec, an artist from France, explores this idea through a series of paintings titled Subjective Architecture Realty, now on display at the Alliance Francaise. She has been living in Mumbai for nearly five years and says, “In the beginning, I was living in the North of Mumbai and witnessed how a multi-storeyed real estate project replaced natural beauty in the area. A number of advertisements used the comfort of nature to sell their own concrete. I wondered how it would be if they were speaking the truth.”
Soazic came up with an imaginary real estate firm and each painting is a project by the firm. She used a few real slogans she came across in advertisements. Through the paintings, she explores the possibilities of Nature reclaiming its space, at times forcefully.
A painting of a real estate project titled Cascade Grandeur and the tagline ‘lose yourself in nature’ depicts a waterfall cascading down multi-storied buildings. Magic Mushrooms has giant mushrooms growing on the buildings; Oceanopolis with its tagline ‘bring the outdoors in’ explores the possibility of water with its aquatic life within the premises and Tree Tower shows a concrete tower built within a giant tree bark.
Subjective Architecture Realty will travel to eight cities in the country and Soazic plans to have city-specific paintings for Pune and Kochi and an installation for Delhi. She will be exploring the idea of conflict between nature and the cities for forthcoming exhibitions in Istanbul and South America as well. Ask her about the response from those involved in these projects and she quips, “I’ve had many architects who’ve appreciated the paintings but I don’t have contacts with real estate developers and haven’t had feedback.”
Soazic has been an artist for more than 15 years, is at ease with painting and multimedia installations and the conflict between man and nature is a recurring theme.
