“In the first place, the Balénoptère is a life-size balloon composed of an envelope and pod that complement each other and create a dialogue. Some might see in it a mere formal play on the juxtaposition of the round and the angular, full and open construction, suppleness and rigidity. Others, extending the animal metaphor, might see in the pod a skeletal structure supporting the full form of the envelope. Beyond its interest as an object, the Balénoptère reveals itself to be a complex staging process in which the dirigible at times directs the gaze, and at others attracts it. This process thus gave rise to an array of objects and images (installation, photographs, models) that testify to the Balénoptère’s development and use—real or imaginary.”
Jean-Philippe Beaulieu, “Le dossier balénoptère,” in Le dossier balénoptère, exhibition catalogue, Centre d’exposition de Val-d’Or, 2003: 3-4.
Installations
Drawings
