madrid's plaza mayor turned into a green space for four days by urban artist SpY

like many of his projects, this latest intervention by urban artist SpY tends to take you by surprise, presenting everyday things in a way you wouldn’t expect. the result — well that all depends on you. so what’s the twist here? how about we take a major european plaza, where people move about quickly, and install a large swath of grass right in the middle?

all images by rubén p. bescós

that’s just what SpY did with his project ‘grass’ staged in madrid’s plaza mayor to mark its 400th anniversary. instead of bustling around and moving quickly through the space, more than 100,000 people sat, played with and enjoyed the plaza like never before. tourists and locals alike where confronted with a new freedom, one that only nature could grant. the circular swath of grass enveloped the square and changed its context. in the middle of the commotion, the equestrian sculpture continues to oversee the festivities — perhaps even he appears to be having more fun.

the circle spans a total of 3500 square meters, stretching out a diameter of 70 meters. from an aerial perspective, we see a green dot stand out among the earthy red tones of the spanish landscape. it appears soothing even from this distance. in the meandering streets of madrid, SpY seeks to offer a kind of sanctuary and exploration for the many city inhabitants. grass’ texture is so conducive to relaxation that it becomes the perfect way to change the dialog and allow passersby to occupy the floor. the installation is sadly over, but stay tuned — the green circle may be coming to you next if you live in paris, new york or moscow.