Alain Verschueren, a Belgian artist and social worker, has been strolling through Brussels wearing a "portable oasis" - a plexiglass mini-greenhouse which rests on his shoulders, cocooning him in a bubble of air purified by the aromatic plants inside.
Verschueren, 61, developed the idea 15 years ago, inspired by the lush oases in Tunisia where he had previously worked. In the Belgian capital, where face coverings are mandatory to curb the spread of Covid-19, his invention has gained a new lease of life. "When I first created these portable oases, it was about creating a bubble in which I could lock myself away to cut myself off a world if I found it too dull, too noisy or smelly," Verschueren said. "As time went by, I noticed that people