SAINT-NOLAS-DE-REDON WAR MEMORIAL
A singular war memorial, a kinetic work imagined by Christian and Jean-Pierre Baudu, in Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon.
The Saint-Nicolas-du-Redon war memorial stands out for its singular character. Unlike the traditional sculptures often found in cemeteries, this one, christened 20,000 faces, is a kinetic work designed by visual artists Christian and Jean-Pierre Baudu, of the Fouet'Cocher studio in Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon. Inaugurated in 1989, the monument stands in an amphitheatre-shaped landscaped cemetery. Comprising a hundred 3.50 m-long tubes made from the resin used in fishing rods, the monument offers a unique visual experience. Thanks to a subtle play of colors, a face appears as a watermark as soon as you enter the cemetery. However, this image becomes increasingly elusive as you approach, symbolizing the gradual loss of a loved one. The visual artists were inspired by the work of two German video artists, Karl-Hartmut Lerch and Claus Holtz, discovered at the Centre Pompidou in the early 1980s. In 36,976 portraits, these artists had collected thousands of photomatons to synthesize the "ideal face of humanity", following in the footsteps of Leonardo da Vinci's research.
The work at Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon is imbued with sensitivity and secular inspiration. It offers visitors a profound reflection on the nature of memory, loss and humanity, while bringing a contemporary artistic dimension to the site.
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