Today the Rubin Museum of Art launched a new participatory installation, The Lotus Effect, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lotuses take root in murky waters and burst into beautiful bloom above the surface. For The Lotus Effect, the Rubin invites members of the public to fold a lotus flower and dedicate their origami creation to someone or something that has helped them overcome a challenging time. When the Rubin reopens, people can contribute their folded piece to an installation in the Museum that will serve as a community-built symbol of gratitude and powerful reminder that collectively we can emerge from difficult moments.
"The Lotus Effect uses art-making as a tool to connect people to each other in order to inspire hope and resilience, and to remind individuals that even in impossible circumstances, change and transformation can lead us to moments of beauty and bloom," says Chief Experience Officer Jamie Lawyer. "Our society is facing critical social, economic, and health challenges, which bring up many emotions: anxiety, loneliness, sadness, grief, and frustration. We hope that as we all rise to the many challenges that lie ahead, the lotus can be a reminder that beauty can emerge from the toughest conditions." Countless lotuses are represented in scroll paintings (thangkas) and sculptures in the Rubin Museum's collection. These flowers often appear in the hands of gods and goddesses, as decoration on their thrones, and as part of vivid landscapes. In Tibetan Buddhism, lotuses are important symbols associated with many meanings including awakening, transformation, and compassion.Videos