This illusion takes “on top of the world” to a whole new level. French artist François Abélanet constructed this green globe outside of Paris City Hall for a 2011 art presentation. He called it “Qui Croire?” or “Who to Believe?”
The massive project required 90 people and five days to construct it. It’s actually 100 meters long and not a sphere at all. From one angle, it looks like a perfect globe. But from the side, it is revealed to be a long stretch of 1,200 square meters of lawn patched together. If you’re curious how this 3D anamorphosis artwork works, check out “Qui Croire?” on YouTube. It’s amazing!
A Whimsical Illusion
This may be the most playful apartment building in the world. The illusion of people and shops just being a lively part of the street makes you happy just by looking at it. And if you pay really close attention, you will see that this three-building complex is really just one building.
Believe it or not, this is not the only amazing mural artwork in Sherbrooke, Quebec. The town has a total of 16 murals all around Sherbrooke, complete with a self-guided mural tour. All the other artworks are equally fun. Some contain quirky scenes with hidden shapes. Kids can point out the silliness.
A Herd of Horses
In most business parks, one does not expect a herd of horses to go galloping by. Not these days, anyway, as most people commute to work with a car or some other means of public transportation. Nobody takes their horse to work anymore. The stables are not big enough. We kid, obviously.
These beasts, wild and free, are kicking up a splashy path, racing to wherever they are off. But really, these ponies are permanent installations of sculpted bronze, decorating a commercial property water fountain. The splash feature near their hoofs and legs sure gives it the look of motion.
Trip Out on This Hallway
Don’t trip! It is entirely flat, actually, so tripping should not be a problem. Looking at this hallway floor might have you thinking there is some quicksand involved or that it was made by people who usually build waterbeds. In reality, however, it's a perfectly solid, walkable floor. To create the effect, the tile company laid the floor in a curved pattern.
Each tile was not square-shaped but rather cut into various shapes to create a trippy design. This artistic walkway was installed by the British tiling company Casa Ceramica. The warped-looking floor serves as the entrance to their Manchester showroom.
A Waterfall Under Water?
This colonial island nation located southeast of Africa in the Indian Ocean offers a spectacular sight from above. This view is possible from the southeastern tip of the island of Mauritius. The waterfall illusion in Mauritius is created by the runoff of sand and silt instead of water.
The clarity of the water brings to light those deposits. Directly above, it almost looks like an underwater vortex. After all, it’s just natural beauty. It also makes you sort of understand why ancient civilizations hundreds of years ago used to think that the earth was flat. Those who think it today have no excuse.