A 100-meter long plaza welcomes all visitors who arrive at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. The design of the plaza is wide open. It is suited for marches and state ceremonies are held there regularly.

In 2006 I decided to scale up my installations, harness the community, and create a huge colorful art project in this plaza, one of the most visual and meaningful locations in the country.

Groups from across the community including Jews, Arabs, and those with special needs, all took part of this adventure.

5,000 school-aged children and their families were my co-creators: collecting, cleaning, cutting and painting thousands of plastic bottles, one at a time. Each bottle was painted according to a careful computerized design I had planned out.

After two years of planning and community effort (not to mention bureaucracy!) the project was loaded on trucks, ready for assembly. The first stage was to install the bottles which were screwed tightly onto sections of 10-meter-long chicken-wire. The next stage was to spread out tons of turf as bedding on top of the chicken-wire.

After a four-day effort the installation was in place and although the installation was supposed to be a temporary exhibit, as of the end of 2018, the installation still stands with zero weathering. It looks as good as new; a decade-old garden that demands no water, no fertilizers, and no maintenance.

Credits: Office of the Chairman of the Knesset