Sons de cloches, sound installation, 2018.
Chemin des sculptures, Marchin
Work installed on the site of the Kachinas collective garden, Fond du Fourneau, 4570 Marchin (Belgium).
With the collaboration of Kachinas asbl.
With the support of the Fondation Marie-Louise Jacques and the Commission des arts du Ministère de la Région Wallonne.
The work is composed of two bronze bells and oak elements. The two bells are 10 meters apart, suspended at a height of 3.5 meters by a network of steel cables. They are operated by a rope fitted with a removable rod. In addition, three bells are made for the garden's sheep, their notes playing on the harmonics of the two large bells.
The humanist discourse, the sound and participatory character, the experience of creating outdoor works and the universality of the subject were all part of the criteria in the artist's choice.
“The symbolism of the bell is firmly rooted in our history and culture, but it is also present in many other countries, seeming to have a universal character. Many countries use the bell to commemorate events linked to their history. Take, for example, the Peace Bell in New York. This bell, donated by Japan, is a symbol of peace for the United Nations. It is rung on September 21, the opening day of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, which is also the International Day of Peace. Sons de
Sons de cloches proposes to operate in the same way as the Peace Bells, and to ring each year on the occasion of a festival on the site.
François Thoreau, host of Kachinas, adds: “A bell is a cosmic object par excellence. It brings villagers together and protects them from peril. One of the bell's powers, it is said, is to repel opposing forces. It also marks time. A bell is a landmark in the landscape, populating places even differently from trees and animals. Large bells mark a certain permanence. The small ones would accompany the flock of sheep, with its births, deaths and life. Their tinkling would mingle with the songs of the birds, the rustle of the wind as it caresses the haystacks and slips between the bean stakes.”