Background
Cotton candy is a childhood favorite across the world. The pink, fluffy cloud shaped candy is a global carnival favorite. The Rajasthani city of Jaipur is popularly known as Pink City. Sunsets here are filled with many a cotton candy cloud. Pink is the color of hospitality. Hospitality is closely linked with the city’s history. Buildings in the old town were built using the locally available pink sandstone. Over time, however, the city is losing its unique, distinct character – both in terms of its food as well as its architecture.
The lush greenery began to turn into warm hues of red and orange. The entire experience sung with the birds, imparting a feeling of rejuvenation. Her moods experienced a twist taking her ruminating through her jar of memories; just like her palate from crunch and spice to salt and acidic to sweet.
– Priyal Parekh, Academy of Architecture, Mumbai.
Cotton Candy Cloud
The interactive art installation uses bright pink cotton candy to represent the Pink City. Gently hidden by vertical pieces of rope, it is placed in a public space. These are similar to the beaded curtains found in the traditional houses. Cool water fills the base of the installation. This is paradoxical for the otherwise hot and dry weather of the region. Visitors are immediately transported to a refreshing oasis on stepping into the installation. The sweet smell and vibrant color of the organic cotton cloud encourage visitors to touch and interact with it. On discovering that it is indeed edible, visitors sniff, lick and bite away pieces of the installation. Thus, the Pink Cotton Cloud disappears as the day moves on, just as the Pink City has disappeared over time.
The Cotton Cloud is an interactive art installation designed and built by the students of the Academy of Architecture, Mumbai as part of an intensive Food+Architecture Workshop. See concept drawings here. Contact us to design a workshop for your students.