This green space, designed by artist Guy Gabon, does not attract the public.
Inaugurated last June 17 along the Rivière aux Herbes in the heart of downtown Basse-Terre, the path “Rimèd razyé ka monté la rivyè” (which can be translated into English as “Nature’s remedies go up the river”) is already abandoned. This Friday, July 15, the desolation and the anger of some passers-by who discovered this sad spectacle were great : a site covered with almonds, wild grass everywhere, plants (or those that remain) in pitiful condition in the bins, a missing project presentation panel, etc.
This plant and artistic area was designed by Guy Gabon, who presents herself as a Land-Art artist, in collaboration with Benoît-Gilles Michel (designer), Jean-Pierre Biabiani (wood craftsman) as well as pupils from the Joseph Pitat secondary school in Basse-Terre and Jean Jaurès secondary school in Baillif, and from the Gerville-Réache and Raoul Georges Nicolo high schools in Basse-Terre.
In not even a month of existence, this place which was supposed to attract the public is delivered to its sad fate and nobody stops to visit it.
We wonders if the elected officials of Basse-Terre walk in the city or if they only travel by car since according to the municipality this project aims to promote walking and cycling.
We wonder if some artists are able to monitor the projects they have worked on in order to eventually point out certain shortcomings to the municipality.
We wonder if these artists just “do their show” when the press is present and then take their money and leave.
We wonder if these adults who enroll these young people into this type of project are aware of the harm they are doing to them by wiping out almost months of involvement.
We wonder if these people who worked on this project really know the plants because some of them need a minimum of sunlight to grow and they are in total shade under this almond tree.
We wonder if these same people in their childhood had the opportunity to break the bark of almonds with a stone to eat this particular dry fruit, being careful not to stain their clothes so as not to upset their mother…otherwise, they would know that the almond tree bears a lot of fruit and the ground is quickly littered with almonds…
The municipality of Basse-Terre and the artists must review their work if they want to mobilize the citizens in actions related to their living environment and to the enhancement of the plant heritage. Obviously, we are still far from the “Ecological City” label.
