|
Alain Verschueren, a Belgian artist and social
worker, has been strolling through the capital Brussels wearing
a "portable oasis" - a plexiglass mini-greenhouse which rests on
his shoulders, cocooning him in a bubble of air purified by the
aromatic plants inside.
Verschueren, 61, developed the idea 15 years ago, inspired by
the lush oases in Tunisia where he had previously worked. In a
city where face coverings are mandatory to curb the spread of
COVID-19, his invention has gained a new lease of life.
"It was about creating a bubble in which I could lock myself in,
to cut myself off a world that I found too dull, too noisy or
smelly," Verschueren said, adding that he has asthma and finds
breathing within his contraption more comfortable than wearing a
facemask.
"As time went by, I noticed that people were coming up to me and
talking to me. This isolation became much more a way of
connecting," he said.
Onlookers in Brussels appeared amused and confused by the man
wandering between the shops - mostly closed due to COVID-19
restrictions - encased in a pod of thyme, rosemary and lavender
plants.
"Is it a greenhouse? Is it for the bees? Is it for the plants?
We don't know, but it's a good idea," Charlie Elkiess, a retired
jeweller, told Reuters.
Verschueren said he hoped to encourage people to take better
care of the environment, to reduce the need to protect ourselves
from air and noise pollution.
(Reporting by Bart Biesemans and Clement Rossignol; writing by
Kate Abnett; editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Alex Richardson)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content
|
|
