The Water Was Here

Overview

Enclosed by a railway, a highway and WIELS contemporary art centre, lies a no-place – initially a construction site flooded by groundwater, later halted by the 2008 financial crisis, which paralysed the project. At the intersection of geological and financial forces, the marsh named after Wiels came into existence. This biotope is a green oasis in the middle of nowhere — merging the surreal with the natural, it has become a refuge for insects, birds and people alike.