THE DISCOVERY THE WORLD
This work is inspired by Francis Ponge's Le Savon. It is perhaps a momon.
Francis Ponge wrote: "A momon is a masquerade, a kind of dance performed by masks, then a challenge carried out by masks. The root is the same as in mummery. By extension, we should also be able to use this term to refer to any work of art that includes its own caricature, or in which the author ridicules their means of expression. Ravel's Valse is a momon. This genre is particular to periods when rhetoric is lost, searching for itself."
The work is constructed from rustic recycled materials. A rectangular chest coated with bitumen is placed on a table made from recycled pallet wood. A low seat placed at floor level, on which one kneels, allows the work to be viewed through a slit in the front of the chest. About fifty pieces of Aleppo soap surround the base of the chest on all four sides; a small glass receptacle filled with fresh water occupies the side where the slit is located. The opening is in fact an oracular mouth opening onto a dazzling black light embellished with phosphorescent dots. The banknotes have been washed with soap; they are clean, shiny, and soft like clean laundry. Rest assured, the chest is also a sanctuary of pleasure.
Tout le monde sait ce qu’est un morceau de savon, et tout le monde s’en sert comme d’un rituel, tous les jours et plusieurs fois par jour. Mais la bulle au milieu de cet univers, riche en nuances, flottant légère et triomphante, vient-elle d’un autre monde ?
I don't want to comment on my own work; sharing some of the reactions gathered from Sunday strollers is much more lively. In 2016, I presented this work at a Parisian public market. The rectanglular chest seemed to arouse mistrust. Out of modesty or fear of deception, did people think it was an invitation to a “peep show”? But a few volunteers played along.
Everyone who took a peek inside the “black box” reacted spontaneously and loudly: WOW! They seemed to envy what they saw.
- Some people loved the contents because all they saw was money; they laughed, thinking it was a joke.
- Others who looked longer saw the iridescent bubble in the middle of counterfeit banknotes.
– There were people who saw fake banknotes, the iridescent bubble, and thought it smelled good; they left happy.
– Finally, a few people recognized the iridescent bubble and understood that it was real banknotes; they proclaimed that it was awesome!
THE CHAPEL
The Chapel, a pendant to The Discovery of the World, is a high-perched work, inviting visitors to climb onto a step stool to discover, through a slit, a new universe bathed in black light. Inside this enclosure of colored glass is an acupuncture ear stimulated by long needles to spread the energy of healing miracles.
THE BORROWED GARDEN
The borrowed garden is a gateway structure, open and inhabited, offering several perspectives: in the foreground, a water garden; in the middle ground, a mineral garden. Passing through these two successive spaces leads the eye to discover a broader perspective of the surrounding landscape, depending on where the work has been installed. This portable architecture thus allows the inclusion, depending on the site, of various landscapes in the space of meditation created by the illusion. It is a nomadic architecture, like the precious portable pharmacies that pilgrims carry with them on their journey into the unknown.
