Arteology

The nature in the volcanic region of Auvergne has something definitely sacred. It seems to be invisibly linked with the idea of art. The approach of Atelier 37.2, as artists, is to search this specific nature in order to let the fear, the mystery, the metaphysical and spiritual questioning appears from the volcanic memory.

A gigantic skeleton has arisen from the excavations of the Puy de Serveix summit. It draws a backbone along the peak of the mountain. Though it recalls the shape of a mammoth, its dimension – more than a 100 meters long – exceeds the biggest dinosaur’s skeleton ever discovered (25 meters long). It belongs to an unknown specie. This discovery is a poetic and phantasmagorical interpretation of this specific natural environment.

This monumental sculpture draws a narrative correspondence between nature and art. The idea is to set up an enigma within the landscape creating a deep impact upon the spectators’ imagination. He is driven to search the depth and the mystery of our origins. Contemporary art has to create myths by reintroducing the sacred feelings that has deserted our world.

This artwork has been designed according to the scale of the magnificent landscape. It has to be observed from a certain distance and tend to disappear when ones comes to close. A viewpoint indicator – 300 meters from the summit – goes with this sculpture.

Despite its monumental dimensions, this work is extremely simple and does not include any technical prowess. The whole structure is built of wood, assembled differently depending on the needs of different parts of the instalation.