this project preview event will be held on thursday, may 28th, 6-8pm, to take the project over the financial finish line. light refreshments served. this project preview event is for adults 21+ only.
petrichor is the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. such is the sensation when, for three days, the 16,000 square foot interior ground floor of detroit's historic boyer campbell factory floor is landscaped with green, lush grass.
the installation offers a temporary public space, outside-in.
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pulling the worn brass door handle to the boyer campbell building, you are impressed by the weight of the door, and imagine nearly 100 years of folks pulling the same handle. today, however, you encounter something decades of people never did. today, as the door swings open, the air it pushes aside carries the smell of earth. it washes over you. you close your eyes to inhale, exhale.
your eyes flutter open with curiosity, searching for the source the familiar smell.
as far as you can see, the floor is planted with verdant sod. it’s wall-to-wall, grows around every corner of your field of vision. the verdancy of the organic material is meeting the factory architecture in a way that human eyes rarely encounter.
you instinctively slip off one shoe, then the other. you step barefoot onto this foreign lawn. you walk your first step, slowly, as if testing if what you see is real. the earth supports you.
barefoot, exploring, you feel as if you are in a backyard from your past. the smell confirms it. you are transported to a place you have not thought of in years. the tickle of the grass on the sides of your feet, the smell of the color green.
without realizing it, you’ve begun to run, and laugh.
your gaze turns upwards to see folks are on the mezzanine level, watching your first moments exploring the petrichor project. you exchange smiles.
you round a corner at a sprint and turn to see the expanse continues to fill the loading dock and factory floor offices. did someone say 16,000 square feet? it looks like a million.
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this project takes two things: green, ubiquitous, traditional grass and a historic detroit factory building—both seen by many almost daily—and brings them together in a context never seen before.
the concept is simple: a lawn indoors.
but the sensory reaction to seeing the outdoors inside, is complex. the smell of backyards, baseball fields, city parks—each individual will have their own nostalgic memories.
you notice a friendly docent pull a small bottle from their pocket, and spray a mist into the air above them. curious, you approach them to ask what they've just done, and learn the scent enhancement offers visitors a deeper dig into the verdant smell of soil. they also tell you of the afterlife of the grass from the petrichor project; the sod will be deinstalled overnight at the conclusion of the exhibition and distributed to public spaces in the city.
the docent hands you a small recycled fabric sample to sprayed with the petrichor fragrance as takeaway for your experience to linger.
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to walk and lie on a lawn with a view of the factory architecture and other project visitors with the smell of the outdoors all around—never experienced before.
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a note from the artist:
as a priority, i want the city of detroit to gather and flow in and out of the exhibition, experiencing joy.
secondly, i want to shine a spotlight on the city of detroit, for the world to take notice of our beauty and fortitude. i would like to use this project as a catalyst for folks outside of detroit to book a trip to explore things that have been here for years, and new things that are germinating.
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petrichor is the second of three projects of my studio residency in the boyer campbell building in the detroit design district of the milwaukee junction neighborhood.
a visit to petrichor invites exploration of the installation. you are welcome to bring a picnic or drinks, a soccer ball, or anything that you feel will enhance your experience. tickets are timed hourly on the hour, with 40 visitors at a time to offer plenty of space for everyone.
petrichor is wheelchair-accessible through a ramped entrance at the back of the building. look for signage. additionally, if you let us know in your ticket purchase notes that you have accessibility requirements, we can accommodate you more efficiently.
