The installation puts a playful twist on the classic game of croquet, transforming it into a visually stimulating experience. Croquet originated in the 19th century as a garden game and quickly became a popular outdoor sport enjoyed by both men and women. In fact, it was even part of the Olympic Games in 1900. The game also holds an iconic place in literature, most notably in Alice in Wonderland, where Alice plays croquet using live flamingos as mallets and hedgehogs as balls.

The Alice in Wonderland story was also a key source of inspiration for our Art Croquet installation. The game begins with a door you hit the ball through, then immediately on to the cloudy caterpillar (wolkjerupsje). The ball then rolls through colourful landscapes and slides, finally passing through the mouth of the Cheshire cat (Katkonijn). At the end the ball follows a challenging path to the final poles, which bring you back to reality.

With this project we strive to connect play and imagination with art and design in an accessible and engaging way.

Pictures by Fred Ernst