Nature Capitale

A surprise drop-in visit on Nature Capitale, a farming-world happening on the Champs-Élysées (24 May 2010)

Gad Weil had already made headlines when he covered the Champs-Élysées in wheat in June 1990. And, precisely two decades after that Grande Moisson (“big harvest”), this “street artist” did it again. This artist, who also defines himself as a man who “weaves social fabric”, clad the world’s most beautiful avenue in green for three days.

This new happening clothed in rural colours ran from 22 May (International Biodiversity Day) to 24 May in Paris. The event was named Nature Capitale, and involved a huge plant bed stretching 1.2 km from the Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. The 2,000 volunteers from Jeunes Agriculteurs and France Bois Forêt, two associations, helped to plant these 8,000 plots spanning 3 hectares, and adding up to an assortment of gardens and forests featuring flowers, trees, fruit, vegetables, grapevines, cabbage patches and more. Organisers were expecting 1 million people but 2 million people finally turned up for a fresh glimpse of the sheer variety of France’s produce and land. On the stand from Aquitaine, they enjoyed oysters from the eponymous Basin and Marmande tomatoes. “We are telling people about what we do and answering questions,” said the delegates from that that part of the country (90 young farmers from Aquitaine came to Paris). It was not on the schedule, so the visit by the Head of State and his wife came as a surprise when they joined in the fun on Pentecost Monday.

The operation was a hit, and Gad Weil is planning to export the Nature Capitale concept to New York and Istanbul. Green fingers are also part of the French Touch.