Chairs on the Île d'Or

Billed as ‘chairs’ these wonderful, Heath-Robinson type creations cleverly cobbled together from what looks like recycled bits of iron, wood and stones on the Île d'Or are anything but. Reminiscent of Sandy Calder mobiles they are sculptures, works of art. This is, for want of a better term, an Interactive Installation. The huge self-activated pendulums are Patrice Douchet’s homage to his friend, the artist Jean-Marie Guérin who created the ‘chairs’ in 1998.

When Guérin died, his family entrusted the chairs to Patrice Douchet and the Théâtre de la Tête Noire. Douchet, director of Théâtre de la Tête Noire is fascinated with the symbiotic relationship between artists, inventors and children. It’s no accident the chairs for big children of all ages were installed next to the children’s playground. He wants people to spend as long as they like in the chairs, as if they had all the time in the world to gaze at the clouds lost in reverie but in reality, one is all too aware of the upturned faces below longing to have a go. The chairs fit in beautifully with the visions of Leonardo, the Master Dreamer who reclines nearby. It is a shame that the installation of chairs is not permanent. We would find ourselves on the Île d'Or more often.
Post by Pamela. Photography by Mark.