Artist Anna Schuleit created this installation of 28,000 pots of flowers to commemorate the closing of the Massachusetts Mental Health Center’s old building in 2003. Her work attempts to combat the institutional, sterile feel of mental health facilities in way that is both beautiful and eery. She also played ambient sounds of the hospital in use, juxtaposed with the peaceful silence of the flowers. The hospital was open to the public for 4 days, before being dismantled and the flowers donated to neighbouring hospitals. Of the project Anna explains: ” I think that letting go of the building in a communal way was a reason to get support for the project, and ultimately, to invite the community to see it before its demolition. These old historic buildings are filled with history—both architectural and social history—, and they can’t really be torn down without some sort of transitional passage, some sort of effort to clear the air.”
