MARIE-LUCE NADAL

UN COURANT DONT JE NE CONNAIS PAS LA SOURCE
2017

Un Courant Dont Je ne Connais Pas la Source is an installation created by the artist Marie-Luce Nadal, presented in a washhouse in Calvignac (Lot, France).

The work consists of two distinct elements: sheets of aluminum and sheets of thick translucent plastic, each measuring 250 x 120 cm (98.4 x 47.2 inches), placed at the bottom of two of the three basins in the washhouse.

The aluminum sheets feature a text written by the artist, addressing the necessity of imperfections and dust to nourish clouds, as well as the presence of a tiny, invisible life animating the sky. The translucent plastic sheets, on the other hand, are perforated using a process called “ebullition painting.” This process involves sifting tiny glowing embers that micro-perforate the material to create patterns resembling runes or constellations. These perforations, or partition-perforations, evoke delicate aerial figures, suggesting a poetic map of the sky.

Through this installation, the artist explores the idea that these small particles are essential for igniting the “fire” that brings clouds to life, creating a connection between earthly elements and atmospheric phenomena.