Project Dam 4
Constellations Flottantes
by
Mathilde Caylou (FR)
With Constellations Flottantes, Mathilde Caylou presents an installation in blown glass, rope and wooden battens, inspired by traditional glass floats. This work, made up of hollow glass spheres surrounded by net-like ropes, evokes the tale of the man who tried to catch the moon in his nets, only to realise that it was only his own reflection in the water. The influence of the stars on water, plants and living things in general becomes apparent, creating a sensation of infinitesimality within a vast whole.
The installation invites us to question our relationship with the environment, our roots in the ground, our position in space and the illusion of our omnipotence. The relationship with the sky and the desire to conquer new territories, whether terrestrial or celestial, raise profound questions.
As a material of light, glass reacts to reflections and to changes in the atmosphere of light, passing from a solid state to a liquid state because of its reaction to temperature. As an amorphous material, it shares physical and aesthetic similarities with water, summoning up the four elements. Originating from the earth (silica) and shaped by breath, glass evokes a harmonious fusion of natural elements.
Method
For this project, Mathilde Caylou reproduced the night sky chart for 8 June 2024 in Esch-sur-Sûre. Each float symbolises a star, linked to the others by white-painted wooden strips. The glass spheres, mouth-blown in shades of greyish white, take on a lunar appearance thanks to the surface treatment of the glass, resembling submerged stars. At night, these spheres will glow slightly in the early evening, thanks to their phosphorescent pigments. The slats between them will redraw the constellations, recreating a celestial cartography.
A 2010 graduate of the École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Strasbourg, Mathilde Caylou is an artist whose work in glass straddles the boundary between contemporary art and traditional craftsmanship. Glass is the main medium for her work, which is fuelled by its capacity for transformation and its evocative power. The works she creates combine the visible and the invisible, responding to a field of research focused on the landscape, the environment, agriculture, and the way in which man shapes and transforms his environment.
Her work is regularly exhibited in France and several other European countries, as well as on a wider international scale in China and the USA. In 2021, she took part in the Hermès Foundation's Académie des Savoir-Faire programme. She also exhibits in the countryside, at festivals such as Horizons in the Sancy massif. She moves her practice around during creative residencies, for example at the Institut d'Optique de Paris Saclay.
« Constellations Flottantes »
Concept & Design: Mathilde Caylou
Designed as part of WaterWalls, Esch-sur-Sûre, 2024
Production : Esch(t)Kultur asbl
Coordination : Services for Creatives
Sugar casting
Workshop with Mathilde Caylou
8.06.2024 | 16:30
Inspired by the installation Constellations flottantes, artist Mathilde Caylou plunges us into the world of glass she created for her installation. The technique may be similar, but the material is sure to please even the most discerning gourmets. Instead of blowing glass, she introduces young and old to the art of sugar casting. An experience that will awaken all the senses, magical and fascinating for the eyes, and certainly soft and sweet for the tongue.
Duration: 60'
Age : for familes
Location: next to the Floating Constellations installation
Language: French
