Nouvelle Laurentine / Hors les Murs manifestations de la Maison Laurentine

Entering this formerly noisy and inhabited location and now quiet, we are facing a hideous owl, guardian of this place and his inhabitant. It is indeed perched on the back of the carrier, pressed by the weight of the animal-spirit.

Getting closer, in the cells from each side of the central path, we discover some bits and pieces, row materials from the creation process of this massive sculpture, mixing plaster and drawings.

From one side, we can see some pieces of plaster mouldings, fragments of damaged bodies.

On the other side, we can recognize some big paper sheets, black pigments creating bird faces as we get closer.

This monster is maybe a treasure keeper… the treasure of immortality. Where is the treasure here ? Does this bird symbolize the inner monster of the artist ?

This installation echoes the engraving of Goya entitled “the sleep of Reason creates monsters” that shows the artist asleep attacked by tens of owls or bats incarnating the visions, the monstrosities turned into Art. Here the monster dominates its own creator. They are one. They are united and need each other.

Monstrum, in latin, means at the same time monster, this strange and hideous thing which is born from nature, but also the warning from gods, the divine omen and the prodigious fact. By extension, it is also the scourge, the misfortune that descends upon us... Or is it also the wonder, the amazing and prodigious thing ?