Creative Acts

The name Jette-sur-Mer is French for 'Jette by the sea'.

In 1983, as part of an artistic project, a street was turned into a beach by Wodek, a Polish artist living in Jette (Brussels). This weekend, 23 years later, he did it again and this time he also added water to the beach!
For the official opening of a new exhibition with 111 artists around the central theme 'Sea', he got permission (and sponsoring) from the local authorities to flood part of a street under a bridge, and put a beach next to it. The story behind this is: because of global warming the sea levels have risen and now Brussels is a coast city.
The 'sea' was made by putting rectangular plugs in the drains under the bridge, and then adding colored water. The sides of the tunnel were painted bright blue and yellow, to suggest dunes, and sea sounds were played.
Next to the beach there was a shop that sold buckets, beach balls, and other beach stuff. And if you went up the stairs (next to the gigantic post card from Jette Sur Mer 1983), there were picnic tables, couches, and of course Wodek himself selling Wodkas and snacks, and of course you could also enter the exhibition.

Because it was a very hot and sunny weekend (30°C), a lot of people in bathing suits came to the beach, and thus became part of this artwork.

Alas, no bridge jumping here...

Talkin' about participative art and refreshing politics: great!

The same artist (Wodek) tried to influence local politics by putting an exhibition on the street with famous paintings to which the face of a politician was added. The politicians on the paintings had all done something good for art or had visited one of his exhibitions once.

In the month before the local elections he wanted to suggest to art loving people who they could vote for.

Art and politics

I voted for the one in the first picture.