la promenade du jardin des souhaits bricolés

On our way southwards in France, where we'll be spending a few delicious days at the Loire (more on that later, off course), we stop in the northwest part of the country, an area with a vanishing mining industry.  Just before leaving I found information on an art tour and I didn't want to miss this :...

one of the oldest remaining miners' housing districts where the last inhabitants moved out not so long ago is one of the exhibition sites on the 30 KM itinerary of à CIEL oUVERT. A collective of artists moved in the tiny derelict houses and with the help of locals of all kinds the empty houses and gardens are turned into one giant installation entirely built with salvaged and recycled materials.

The walk starts here... let's go in and see what comes next...

the door already reveals where in for a treat... art with a seriously funny twist.

first room is a long and winding corridor in changing colours and textures and 'sculptures'

Le Joyeux Boyau de Bienvenue

I will not take the liberty of translating the titles of the artworks as some won't make any sense, if one wants to try (and I suggest you do as they're quite funny - but untranslatable in a few cases), the titles are in French

at the end of the corridor...

a nice lady reaches towards our survival kit : map of the discovery tour, dried fruits and nuts in case we get lost... Water bottles are provided along the way...

5.000 pallets were used to mark out the paths around and through the houses

La Carabine et les Papillons

Les Feux de l'Igloo

Les Fouilles d'Archéologie ordinaire

the path leads into and through the tiny miner's houses

with more installations.  I'll post the interiors in a future post... leaving the best until last

Le Terril Potager

Un Restaulent Panoramique

L'Auditorium de Façade

sound installation

a long and winding pallet-path

leads towards

La Minuterie d'Escalier

a button that will light up the pine tree

Ventilophone

yes, the way leads through this sound sculpture

Les Trois p'tits Corons

Le Saut du Lipizzan

sound installation

Les Cheminées Surprises

La Piste de Danse pour Martiens

Les Clapiers Composés

only half of the video installation in the picture

La Fontaine aux Boulets

(this was a coal mining area for centuries)

Le Panneau Indicateur (part of it)

asking people to whistle when walking by...

The best part was inside the houses.  Funky, colourful, inventive, wild and crazy interiors.  I'll post the pictures in a future post.

La Promenade du Jardin des Souhaits Bricolés
Quand la plaisanterie devient forme
Cité des Électriciens
Bruay-la-Buissière, France
artists' collective of Marseille - Les Pas Perdus

part of the art tour
à CIEL oUVERT (click to view all info on the tour)

An artistic journey of 30 KM linking six cities in the Urban Community-Bruay Bethune in the Artois region.

until 25 September 2011
10h00 - 18h00
access free


We really enjoyed this funny installation and continue our journey in a very good mood...


related post
Le Palais des Cheminées Idéales - part 2

La Maison au Courant - part 3