The Pyramid Project

Mixed Media Installation

Marc Lee has built a pyramid for meditation and resting with the help of local people. The pyramid is made of recycled material and completely covered by shiny plastic waste, murmuring in the wind and providing shadow.

Fascination
I’m fascinated by the people who live at Janakiraman Layout, behind the Banaswadi Railway Station. The place is full of energy: smell of wood smoke, cowshit, cold mornings, hot chai, laughing eyes, beggars poorly clothed and beggars in suits, colourful saris. What a place it is.

Playing Children
Children at Janakiraman Layout

Inspiration
I get inspired by the colourful bags like candy-, shampoo-, salt-, chips-, coffee bags which are hanging in lines in small stores. By collecting the empty bags we are cleaning the ground. By using the empty bag we recycle them. By sewing them onto the pyramid, we are giving it a coat and at the same time, it’s getting transformed into something new.
The place where the pyramid stands was full of these bags. Now they are still there in a new form and reflecting the original space in a new way.

Shop selling tea-, tobacco-bags...
Inspirations from hanging bags

Shop seller hidden by bags
Shop seller hidden by bags

Empty bags everywhere
Empty bags are everywhere

Empty bags everywhere
Really everywhere

Permission
Sign the permission
Permission from the railway department

Pyramid permission
After six times visiting the office

Transport
Wood transported by horse
Wood transport, use horse for lower price

Wood transported by horse

Wood transported by horse

Cleaning
Cleaning the space
Cleaning the space

Cleaning the bags
Collecting and cleaning the bags

Building the pyramid beside the railway line
Train and Pyramid
Building the pyramid beside the railway line

Don't forget to smile

Hanging up the bags
Hanging up the bags

Finale sewing
Finale sewing

Pyramid is finished
Finished!

A pyramid is a very static, stiff and silent object. The hanging bags are moving, vital and murmuring in the wind. This to opposite characteristics coming together, inter-weaving, and something new appears.

Opening and initiation ceremony
Initiation ceremony
Initiation ceremony by Hindu Priest

Hindu Priest surrounded with bags
Hindu Priest surrounded with bags

Free meal as par of the opening
Free meal as part of the opening

Free meal as par of the opening
Free meal as part of the opening

Children are eating
Eating

Children are eating from one plate
Not enough plates.

Meditation and Yoga
It is believed that when you meditate in a pyramid, you receive the most cosmic energy. At the same time it is a good place to relax, to find shadows and to tell stories.

Meditation lessons
Meditation lessons

Yoga lessons
Let’s do yoga

Other uses of the pyramid
Resting
Resting

Telling stories
Telling stories

Thinking about houses of the future
Thinking about houses of the future

Inspired by the pyramid
Inspired by the pyramid
Inspired by the pyramid

Model of a future classroom
Model of a future classroom

Model of a future classroom
Another beautiful model of a future classroom

Press

Pyramid beside Banaswadi Railway Station Bangalore - Press
Deccan Herald Sunday, March 15, 2009