The Door in the Wall
A Community Flash Fiction Project Inspired by Liliana Sâmbotin's Gate of Blossoms
When we launched the ARCS Journal, the very first collection we published was a small experiment.
A painting of a woman, a cat, and a moon became Not Everyone Sees the Same Cat, a collection of stories written by different people looking at the same image.
The painting stayed the same. The stories did not. Some were funny. Some were philosophical. Some were mysterious. Some were deeply personal. The cat became a companion, a witness, a suspect, a quantum paradox, and occasionally the wisest character in the room.
That experiment reminded us of something simple:
art does not have a single meaning. It becomes complete only when someone brings their own memories, questions, fears, hopes, and imagination to it.
Today we begin a new collection.
This time, the invitation starts with a door. Gate of Blossoms by Romanian artist Liliana Sâmbotin presents a weathered wall, a turquoise door, and a cascade of purple blossoms reaching across the entrance like a living archway.
But what lies beyond it? And perhaps more importantly: Why is the door there?
Your Challenge
Write a very short piece inspired by the image.
It can be flash fiction, a haiku, a prose poem, a memory, a letter, science fiction, historical fiction …. whatever you want :)
There is no correct interpretation.
The door may open.
The door may remain closed.
It may lead somewhere extraordinary.
Or nowhere at all.
A Few Questions to Consider
If you’re not sure where to begin, try one of these:
Who planted the blossoms?
Who last walked through the door?
Who is afraid to open it?
What happens if the door is opened only once every hundred years?
What if the blossoms are protecting something?
What if they are keeping something inside?
What if the door appears only to certain people?
What if the door remembers everyone who has crossed its threshold?
What if the person standing in front of it is you?
Or ignore all of these and follow your own path.
Guidelines
10 - 500 words
Any genre welcome
English or Romanian
See the Door in Person
While a photograph can capture an artwork, it never quite replaces standing in front of it. Gate of Blossoms is currently on display as part of Liliana Sâmbotin’s solo exhibition at Macrina Bakery in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood through the end of July.
If you are in the Seattle area, we encourage you to visit the exhibition before writing your story.
Of course, participation is open to everyone, whether you experience the artwork in person or through the image published here and or the GlassArtography site
Publication
Selected submissions will be published together as a community collection in the ARCS Journal.