Fleur de sel began with the image of the first snowfall that announces the onset of winter. The fragile snow covering the ground provides a portrait that has the same horizontality and life as those of Québec painter Jean Paul Lemieux. Between the white quilt and the green bed, the tracks that are left (objects, footprints, fragrances and even sounds) are trapped and remain hidden for the entire winter until the snow melts. These temporary fossils, almost invisible to the eye, create a hidden garden. It is up to us to imagine what is underneath. Isn’t a secret garden a personal place?
Fleur de sel is a response to the theme of 12th edition of Jardins de Metis garden festival, which is “secret garden”. It proposes a white page, leaving room for imagination and for our personal secret gardens.
This white page is created by 70 tons of salt to simulate the image of the snowfall; it is an important material in our environment and an iconic Canadian substance. Large amounts of salt are used every year to melt the snow and ice during winter. Because it is inexpensive, tiny, and fragile and so commonly used, we forget its importance. It is a material that is hidden and sometimes kept secret that is worth rediscovering.
At the end of the season the salt will be recycled and will be used to melt the snow on the surrounding roads.
The soil beneath the salt has been protected by layers of pvc and geotextiles and a drainage system collects the rain water which will be pumped out whenever necessary.
fleur de Sel
Designed By: UrbanBs (Marco Asciutti, Farzaneh Bahrami, Enrique Enriquez, Matteo Muggianu)
One of the winning entries of the International Garden Festival, Les Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens
June 25 to October 2, 2011
SOME IMAGES & TEXT: ©UrbanBs; Other Images as noted ©Thilo folkerts
