Steely ‘Nature'

Reputed for his eye-catching stainless steelinstallations, Vibhor Sogani has created two of Indias tallest ones NewDelhis 40 ft Sprouts, and Ahmedabads 35 ft Kalpavriksha the WishFulfilling Tree.

- Amita Sarwal

Sprouts

Standing elegantly 40 ft tall among the six acres of greens surrounding the AIIMS flyover, the familiar ‘Sprouts’ installation was an initiative by the Delhi Government in 2008 towards beautification of the capital.

‘Chief Minister Sheila Dixit gave a one-line brief “From Walled City to World City” to me and the promoters and sponsors Jindal Stainless Limited. Having six words as a project brief seemed ambiguous, but interesting. Intending to represent independent India in an abstract manner, the idea behind the installation was “when the seeds begin to sprout…” subtly suggesting that India, post-Independence, is transforming and growing. Hence, the new age material, stainless steel, representing contemporary thought, was used,’ says 50-year-old Sogani.