Lyon Biennale : Céleste Boursier-Mougenot réenchante the dome of Buckminster Fuller

Previously, it housed radar of u.s. army. Today, it hosts an installation of most serene of artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot. The geodesic dome Richard Buckminster Fuller, visionary architect of post-war period, experiencing at Lyon for a new destiny. Placed on esplanade of place Antonin-Poncet, in free access, it stands out as an ufo in vicinity of river.

Icon of architecture's utopian, igloo futuristic, it seems to be failed here, as dreams of a better world that was orist and philosopher of architecture. Made up of a multitude of pentagons, it looks like a disco ball giant that would not have spared time.

This is, in fact, more than twenty years that this interior space was not released from reserves of Centre Pompidou, which was acquired in fragments, and has exhibited for last time in context of an exhibition devoted to link between art and engineering, in 1997. Its fiber glass is chipped, his skin took on a beige me, but structure is still superb. Once one enters, it is a different emotion.

" Roundness of tone "

A large round pool stretches out on blue waters of which navigate dozens of bowls of porcelain. At discretion of current, artificial, but also with wind that rushed in under half-sphere, y collide gently to play a melody crystal. The clicking noise always started again, composed by chance, and game elements.

This is fifth version that Céleste Boursier-Mougenot book of this sculpture moving ; with each appearance, it is more perfect. Control of temperature of water, and acoustic analysis of different types of bowl : artist interprets piece as a musical score, refining is always a little more of its parameters. "Here, re's a real roundness of sounds, y fill space and respond to air currents in order to create something living," said artist, musician as experimental as emeritus. Started as a game of its children with dishes of his cooking, his piece finds here an ideal shelter, playing to echo of dome, offering a moment of peace in this architecture nomadic, which served as a time for war.

No chance, but perfect orchestration : geodesic dome is also located in center of path that Emma Lavigne has created for Sugar. A smaller model of Buckminster Fuller, wood knotted this time, has been installed in a way to resonate with all-new film of artist Julien Discrit. This one was inspired by yet anor dome that Buckminster Fuller had built for universal Exhibition in Montreal in 1967, and which was completely burned down ten years later : remains today of its metal structure, installed in an amusement park.

in The course of his wanderings on se artificial islands of river St. Lawrence, Discrit has been struck by contrast between this park, " where everything is drawn in chalk, and way in which nature is again almost wild, in any case organic ".

As voice over for his video, he has chosen a text manifest and visionary Buckminster Fuller in 1960s : "His words truly resonate with our time, evoking renewable energy, increased role played by machine, to finish on need for a universal income, summarizes artist. In short, y are very symptomatic of a time when future was synonymous with hope, while things become more complicated reafter. The fire dome was accidental, but it crystallizes really a sense of loss. "

This article has been written in framework of a partnership with Biennale de Lyon.