L'œuvre vive: Land Art at Vassivière.

Jeann Clareboudt’s Passages Fer (1991) near the exhibition space.

‘Nous ne disposons pas un objet dans le paysage. Nous fabriquons du paysage. Et là, il n'y a jamais de fin’*. 

Words briviste Jean-Guy Soumy puts in the mouth of one of his characters in his book L'œuvre vive (2006). In his words of thanks he refers to the Centre national d’art et du paysage de Vassivière-en-Limousine as an important source of inspiration. The center is located on a hill that became an island in 1952 when the construction of a hydroelectric dam created a new lake.

Tower with it conical shape and staircase.

By the 1980’s the island became a place where sculpture and nature met, in 1983 the first exhibition ‘L’ile aux pierres’ was organized, by 1987 the institution was projected and by 1991 an exhibition space by Aldo Rossi and Xavier Fabre was added.

To appreciate Yona Friedman’s La Licorne de Vassivière (2009) you have to climb the tower.

Scattered over the island you find a wide array of works, Jeann Clareboudt’s Passages Fer (1991) near the exhibition space caught our eye as well as a giant German helmet that formed Marco Boggio Sella’s Untitled (2003), Jean Estaque’s Sans titre (1987). To appreciate Yona Friedman’s La Licorne de Vassivière (2009) you have to climb the tower, which is a really impressive piece of architecture with it conical shape and staircase.

Andy Goldsworthy’s Sans titre (1992).

Worth mentioning on the waters-edge were Andy Goldsworthy’s Sans titre (1992) consisting of two circular walls, one in the forest on land the other mostly submerged in the lake, Jean-Pierre Uhlen’s Steinland (1990) and Marc Linder’s Sans titre (1983).

Jean-Pierre Uhlen’s Steinland (1990).

The work that most impressed us was however a cast iron sculpture by Australian artist David Jones, Green place with red ants (1988). At first looked like a long tree that fell, then became a 22 meters long snake-like object supported by 11 granite blocks.

David Jones' Green place with red ants (1988).

By 2021 some 60 sculptures and a temporary exhibition LA VIE A ELLE-MÊME can be explored. Visit to the island is open and free, the exhibition closes for lunch and has a 5€ entrance fee. We suggest skipping the exhibition, though the building is quite impressive. Find out more about the landscape, history, vegetation, the villages and life on the causse:

The index of this blog.

*)We do not put an object in the landscape. We make the landscape. And once there, it never ends.