Bamboo ear (2006)

Bamboo, solar powered electronic amplification system, speakers, metal pipe.

This project consists of creating a sound instrument in bamboo to amplify children’s voices.

Bamboo canes are held between two vertical metallic grids (see diagram 1 for the structure) so that the mass of horizontal bamboo canes forms the shape of a giant human ear in relief (approximately 4m high). 

A metal pipe through which kids can shout serves as the auditory conduit. It contains microphones that send sound signals to an amplifier powered by solar panels. 

Voices are transmitted to small speakers placed in each cane of bamboo. These amplify again, bamboo itself being a natural amplifier, before the voice is finally broadcast behind the ear. 

This toy allows the child to dominate the space around him with the strength of his voice mimicking certain animals that, by their call, affirm and extend their territory. 

Voice amplification diagram

Diagram 1

Bioluminescent Garden (2002)

This garden is to be situated atop a building. The central element is a mineral sculpture composed of three symmetrical walls forming a cave and a bush pruned into a hemisphere. The visitor is led to a viewpoint along the axis of the sculpture, where the bush is framed by the cave. The distance from this point to the bush will permit the eye to perceive the whole installation at once. In springtime, the bush will blossom, and it will be pruned regularly so that it remains within the framework of the cave. The inside of the cave is to be covered with a bioluminescent moss produced with genetic engineering technology. The moss will emit light via photosynthesis.

The new technologies of genetic engineering have totally shaken our society. The motivation of this work is neither to celebrate the superiorityof human power nor to condemn contemporary science. Humanity is always searching for its origins. Here, the visitor is invited to discover him- or herself in the visual experience made possible through genetic engineering.

During the day, when the moss's luminescence is imperceptible, the bush will become the central figure of this landscape. Its form will be lit by the sun, and it shape will serve to distinguish it from a dark background. After sunset the oppsite happens: the bioluminescent background will be brouken up by the silhouette of the bush, forming a negative figure.

Garden Restoration (1993 - 95)

UNESCO Japanese Garden, Paris, 1994

On a visit to the UNESCO in 1992, I learned that the Japanese garden designed by the American sculptor Isamu Noguchi had not been properly maintained for many years. Having focused my art research on urban questions, I became enthusiastic about the idea of what this garden could be. The urban planners and landscape architects that I consulted also shared my interest. 

The concept of garden maintenance does not represent the same reality in Europe and Japan. The maintenance of the traditional Japanese garden cannot be separated from its creation. The two proceed from a representation of a world and a time at once past and to come. Our time is characterized by an abundance of manufactured objects; it is important that the artist think about the organization of what surrounds us in our daily lives. The artistic act is not merely to produce.

We completed the restoration work in collaboration with a team of Japanese gardeners and many students from the National Horticultural School in Versailles. 

Sample page from the maintenance manual that were created for the project.

Two views of the garden after restoration