"A modern variation of trompe l'oeil"
July 8, 2011 11:33 AM Subscribe
Artist
François Abelanet has transformed the courtyard in front of Paris' City Hall into "a new masterpiece of Land Art," on display until July 15.
Who To Believe? is a giant, living
anamorphosis -- a three-dimensional optical illusion that requires the viewer to stand at a specific vantage point to truly appreciate the work.
Translated from the
Paris city website: "This huge contemporary garden questions the link between nature and city, and the difficulty of their coexistence. With its geometric lines in 3D, the work gives visitors the illusion of relief and covers 1500 square meters. Monumental, it measures 100 meters long and requires 1200 square meters of lawn, [requiring] 300 m² of sedum and 650 m3 of straw and sand. About 90 gardeners and technicians are mobilized continuously for five days for the completion of this ephemeral work of art."
I saw a photo of this yesterday (on mlkshk, I believe) and thought it was just another one of those clever sidewalk-art things where it looks like there's a globe there. But no, it's a 3-dimensional object that looks like a globe from one angle. Even cooler.
posted by spitefulcrow at 12:04 PM on July 8, 2011