Description
An exceptional work is unveiled, the result of an in situ intervention by Georges Rousse, an internationally-renowned visual artist and photographer, in a space open to the public for the 1st time: the former underground laundries of the Franciscan convent.
Georges Rousse has been traveling the world for over 40 years, creating monumental works that play with perspective, form and color. The work, drawn in an architectural space, is ephemeral. The artist takes a photograph to preserve its memory.
"Lux Aurea" fits perfectly into the heart of the Saorge monastery, as part of this year's 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. The work is made of gilded copper leaf applied to the walls, floors and vaults of the room. When viewed from a particular angle, the work takes the form of a golden circle, evoking both the halo and the solar disk of "Brother Sun".
This exhibition was the subject of a partnership between the Centre des Monuments Nationaux and the French Ministry of Education.
At the end of the project, six final-year art students from the Lycée Guillaume Apollinaire in Nice were invited to take up residency at the monument, to help create the work in collaboration with the artist. This remarkable educational project will be presented in the cloister of the monastery.
