2023
Site: Jardin Bellini, rooftop garden of the cultural center La Seine Musicale, Île Seguin, Boulogne-Billancourt,
Paris (France)
10 replicates of the existing public benches
Material: Wood, Ytong, metal, paint, polystyrene
About:
On the rooftop of La Seine Musicale, a curious group of benches seem to inhabit the Bellini garden. The objects, similar to the existing furniture of the site, seem to come alive in a strange form of animality.
Acting like a herd of terrestrial animals, they occupy the meadow, rolling down the slope of the garden to graze peacefully in the bushy vegetation. At first glance, this astonishing and comical scene evokes an idyllic landscape. But the harmony is cut short. At the head of the group, the first bench followed by all the others has already climbed over the balustrade of the building, ready to jump into the void.
This suspended moment mixes humour with the feeling of a latent, imminent catastrophe. It suggests an ongoing process which, according to the imagination, could lead to different outcomes…
Nadege Lecuyer, Introduction for Les Extatiques 2023 / L‘art dans l‘espace public
Les Extatiques 2023 / L'art dans l'espace public
