French Summer 2025: Bourse de Commerce - Pinault Collection (Rotunda)
Paris stop 2: Bourse de Commerce (Rotunda)
The multisensory installation "clinamen" by Céleste Boursier- Mougeno (FR, 1961) has created a therapeutic oasis in the Rotunda of the Bourse de Commerce.
A 18-meter water-filled basin in aquatic blue has been built in the middle of the Rotunda, which blended in the perfectly with the interior of the stunning architecture of Bourse de Commerce. With the signature dome ceiling being reflected on the water surface, both built structures echo with each other in perfect harmony.
On top of the aquatic basin, countless white ceramic bowls are floating gently on the surface in light currents created by their own movements. As they move from different directions at an incalculable manner, some bowls drift apart, while others touching each other and creating various melodious “clinks”, which are then being further echoed inside the hall, forming a unique sound effect. It is only upon careful examination that the analog nature of the installation can be confirmed.
This calming, yet enigmatic installation invites visitors to take a sit and to watch. As the ceramic bowls are moving casually in unpredictable rhythms and directions - every single moment is different, every turn is a new beginning - the onlookers unknowingly are brought to a contemplative state, as if watching the ebbs and flows of life.
The word “clinamen” refers to the unpredictable swerve of atoms. It was coined by Lucretius, a Roman poet and philosopher, who was an early thinker on evolution. Lucretius pointed out this swerve introduces the possibility of collisions and interactions between atoms, which are necessary for the formation of all things. It also provides a basis for free will in living beings. Boursier-Mougeno’s installation has brilliantly illustrated the philosophy in the most captivating manner. (HT)
Céleste Boursier- Mougeno (FR, 1961) was initially a music composer. He has gained worldwide recognition for his acoustic installations that use nature and the rhythms of everyday life to investigate the relationship between sound, space and movement. Using domestic or natural materials, he creates installations that immerse the viewer in a multi-faceted set of sensory experiences, and invite a renewed and refined appreciation of our perceptual environment. Boursier-Mougenot represented France at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015.
All photos taken by City Transit Arts.
