In 2015, the city of Yverdon-les-bains and the Agenda 21 called upon the artist duo to create this monumental tornado in order to make the population aware of the problem of climate change.
What could be more symbolical than a whirlwind to illustrate problems related to global warming ? Jan and Sylvain had the idea of making a completely wooden one. The two artists installed willow branches to form a vortex around a mobile central fir mast, which was then free to move with the wind and storms. The Whirlwind was so successful that local citizens would have liked it to remain on the Pestalozzi Square and replace the usual Christmas tree, but tradition won out and the Whirlwind had to leave the centre of town and move to its new location at the Champ-Pittet Pro-Natura Centre, until its inevitable destruction by the elements.
A tonne of wood was used to create the seven-metre-high urban Whirlwind and the pair of artists worked relentlessly for six days to install it. They were helped by their cabinetmaker friend Tobias Metzger and also paid a local homeless person for his assistance. The creation was sponsored by Agenda21.
