Pelouze

Pelouze [from the French pelouse, meaning grass or lawn] was one of the winning entries
in the 2005 Kunst in de Buurt  [Art in the Neighbourhood] competition organised by the City of Ghent.
The event took place in the Halvemaanstraat in Ghent from 25 to 28 August 2005. 

Data

Realization: 25-28 August 2005
Location: Halvemaanstraat, Ghent
Dimensions: 10 x 150m
Duration: 5 days
Material: reinforced football grass

Concept

Pelouze was created as a temporary intervention in a public space: the street would be closed to traffic for five days and covered with real grass.
The street was transformed into a public garden running in one continuous strip in front of the resident’s houses.
The preparation period lasted six months, during which time the residents were informed about the project and encouraged to participate.
Some of them actively participated and wanted to organize activities, but most of them stood and watched...
Everything changed when the grass was unrolled.
A particular type was selected: specially reinforced grass slabs that are normally used on football pitches.
It created a surreal urban landscape, in which the smell of grass, the act of maintaining it, the absence of cars and the mix of people that came together to enjoy it created a strange atmosphere of peace.
In a very contradictory way, it felt extremely natural, as though time had stopped and that the situation could go on forever.
Pelouze is urban medicine.It can be installed in almost any street, in any city in the world.
The medicine has the power to transport city dwellers to a surreal urban landscape in which they establish contact with their neighbours and experience an intense connection with nature.