2005 - 2012 THE UMBELLIFEROUS PLOT

Le Terrain ombelliférique, 2005 video 23', edition of 4 - collection MAC/VAL & Abattoirs Toulouse. The Umbelliferous Plot - Silkscreen The Umbelliferous plot, which exists in the form of a digitally animated film and a text by the artist, initially published in the Nancy catalog in 1998 is a project to plant giant umbels to create a wild garden, “offering a dramatic shift in scale’’ and thrusting the visitor into an Alice in-wonderland like landscape.  The Umbelliferous plot is exclusively planted with giant Hogweeds.

Bertrand Lamarche - Studio view  The surface of the land is perfectly flat, even though it ls covered by foliage in its horizontal density, which testifies to this flatness for the visitor standing up to the knees in this thick green carpet. The parc is large and dense enough that visitors can loose site of all visible bearings, beyond the hogweeds. However, it possible to keep one’s distance from the plants if one wishes, by staying on the alleys cutting through the park. They are necessary because one must not touch the umbels. When in bloom, simple contact of the skin or rubbing the leaves or stems causes visible skin painful and persistent eruptions. A light but fully covering suit, with a hood, and gloves are advised when visiting the Umbelliferous plot. Text by François Piron, in «Drag city», in The Funnel, edition HYX, 2008

In 2012, Bertrand Lamarche transformed the Umbelliferrous Plot intot a real installation at the occasion of his solo Show at the Centre de Création Contemporain (Tours).  Using real Hog Weeds and tripods, he installed nearly 80 plants into the gallery space. The Umbelliferous Plot - Installation exhibition view, CCC Tours.