MIRRORSCAPE: a new installation by French artist Théo Mercier to open at Mona on Saturday
MIRRORSCAPE, a new installation at Mona, was created by French visual artist and stage director Théo Mercier. The story behind the project >>
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It could be a scene in any rubbish tip, but there is a uniquely Tasmanian backstory to this new Mona installation.
Shielded behind glass in the museum’s former library, MIRRORSCAPE by French artist Théo Mercier is a panoramic sand sculpture depicting a debris-strewn landscape after a natural disaster.
The concept was conceived on Mr Mercier’s first visit to Tasmania two years ago, and inspired by his fascination with “tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes … different dark forces”.
Mr Mercier photographed commonly dumped items – think mattresses, tires, bricks and even utes – which were then constructed by a team of five international sculptors with just sand and water.
Mr Mercier said its purpose was to “replay the relationship that you can have as a man with a landscape”.
“I wanted to create some kind of weird familiarity with what you’re seeing,” he said.
“The car could actually be your car. The mattress could be your mattress. And for that reason it was important to source all the elements in Tasmania.”
The installation took one month to construct – the longest elements being the compression of sand into mouldable bricks, and the redesign of the space.
“Sand and water are not favourite materials for museums. It brings dust humidity, so for that, we are in a special part,” he said.
“[The] landscape is strongly connected to the architecture of the museum.”
Curator Sarah Wallace said the exhibit was a good fit for Mona.
“We’re thrilled that we can have an artist such as Theo with such an exciting practice exhibit here at Mona,” she said.
“Theo has created this catastrophic landscape, and David (Walsh - owner of Mona) has always said that Mona may one day be underwater.
“So it could be a scene from the past that we’re discovering, or it could be a scene from the very near future.”
These ideas of fragility, impermanence and change were front of mind for Mr Mercier.
“There is a big contrast between the violence of the scene, and the fragility of the material,” he said.
“Days after days, months after months, the shape will erode and the landscape will disappear, but the sand will remain.
“We are just assisting to one moment of the matter. It will get transformed ... and it will continue with history.”
The installation opens to the public tomorrow and will run for one year.
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Originally published as MIRRORSCAPE: a new installation by French artist Théo Mercier to open at Mona on Saturday
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