PROJECTS

L’Offrande du Coeur

1998

L’Offrande du Cœur was my first installation that regarded research of complexity with the aim of breaking the traditional unitariness of the work.
The work draws its inspiration from a tapestry made between 1400 and 1410 by an anonymous French artist. The scene, set in a wood, depicts a king while he gives a young girl a red cushion. The girl is sting down, with a dog and several hares at her feet, and holds a hawk in a gloved hand.
Observing the tapestry, I realised that it contained different specificities and so I decided to analyse the three episodes separately in order to create a single installation characterised by a profound ambiguity.
I imagined that the tapisserie could be perceived as an interactive panel and I attempted to create three elements able to grasp three characteristics of the picture. This enabled me to portray a complex situation of an emotional nature where each work coincides with a state of mind.
I made a video featuring a hawk, a glove and a woman representing elements of conflict, aggressiveness and love.
Another element of the installation inspired by the tapestry is the videosculpture in which a foot plays with a furry toy rabbit to the music of a musical box and gentle laughter in the background. In this case I wanted to emphasise the sensual and ironic dimension with respect to an action where the gesture of the foot has a metonymic aspect.
The third part inspired by the tapestry is a huge photograph depicting a close-up of the hands of a surgeon with a human heart in his hands. The frame of the photograph is lined in red velvet and fake ermine to portray the intimate ambiguity of the picture.

Project and related works: