A Shop Front Installation in 6 Union Yard, Aldershot GU11 1TT
19 July 2025 – 15 August 2025 – marking the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day
A single silk poppy.
Hand-dyed. Luminous. Still.
Phool Bloom: The Poppies Blow marks 80 years since the end of World War II and the moment of VJ Day — inviting quiet reflection on service, sacrifice, and remembrance. This poignant installation takes place in a shopfront in Union Yard, Aldershot, a town deeply shaped by military heritage and lived experience.
Here, the iconic poppy — a symbol rooted in memory and mourning — is reimagined in silk and light. The title nods to John McCrae’s timeless words, “In Flanders Fields the poppies blow between the crosses.” But in Aldershot, the poppy doesn’t bloom in fields. It blooms on the high street — in a space open to all, honouring voices often left out of the national remembrance story.
Phool — pronounced Fool — means flower in Hindi and Sanskrit.
Nutkhut’s Phool Bloom is a growing national series of installations that brings flowers — and the memories they hold — to life. Each piece is part sculpture, part soundscape, and part story, rooted in place and shaped by the people who live there.
Originally commissioned by the City of Bradford for BD: is LIT 2023, the first Phool Bloom featured a lotus, hibiscus, and rose — each one linked to deeply personal memories shared by Bradfordians, set against a rich soundscape featuring botanical bio-sonics from Lister Park.
“Simply special – it was a wonderful project – calming, gentle and an insight into the charm and beauty of Bradford.”
— Aleena, participant
With each new location, Phool Bloom grows.
From the voices of Lorna, Caprice, Zara, Kelly, and Cath in Bradford, to the silent yet powerful presence of a single poppy in Aldershot, the project continues to explore remembrance through community, identity, and the overlooked stories that connect us all.
“It became a living space of reflection and connection — especially for those who often feel invisible in remembrance culture.”
— Simmy Gupta, Co-Artistic Director, Nutkhut
Whether native or non-native, flowers carry the stories of people, migration, memory, and resilience. Each Phool Bloom installation asks: What do we remember? Who do we remember? And how can beauty invite us to listen more deeply?
“Native/non-native, plants are plants and people are people – a wonderful project highlighting similarity and difference in a clever, creative and educational way.”
— Maureen, participant
Nutkhut believes shop fronts are powerful civic spaces — where art meets everyday life. They’re unexpected, public, and democratic. And on our high streets, memory can bloom.
Follow Phool Bloom as it continues to travel across the UK — from petals to poppies, stories to streets.
Instagram.com/nutkhut.uk
#PhoolBloom #Nutkhut #NutkhutPhoolBloom #ACESupported #LetsCreate
