Nicolas Darrot, "Passage au noir"
from June, 8 to September, 24 2006
Introduction
Nicolas Darrot (born 1972 in Le Havre, France) continues the cycle of events created especially for la maison rouge and its patio, an open-air space under climatic influence.
Nicolas Darrot, who is fascinated by the relationship between living creatures and machines, is a kind of artist-sorcerer. He transforms insects into chimera, gives the power of speech to hunting trophies, creates automatons which come to life when a visitor approaches. The world of Nicolas Darrot stimulates the imagination on several levels: that of myth and fable but also in the equally vast realm fed by technological advances and scientific discovery.
Nicolas Darrot has taken his project beyond the limits of what was originally asked of him, creating a spectacular device that fills the patio and the heart of the foundation, the "red house".
A white, air-filled probe encircles the house. A flock of larger-than-life crows attached to their perches begin to caw and flutter when the probe comes near them. This encounter takes place in the patio in what resembles a courtship ritual. The event recurs in an endless cycle which the spectator can take in at leisure as he strolls around inside the foundation.
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