Artistic dynamics : towards a reshaping of our image of Saint – Pierre (Martinique)

L’atelier du Morne Rouge

In the Grand-Saint-Pierre Project, for whose conception and coordination Martinican writer Patrick Chamoiseau has been assigned, a call for artistic projects was made in the late months of 2012 by the Parc Naturel Régional – the institution in charge of the natural reserve of the region- who is supervising the whole project. This is the first step towards numerous large-scale projects.

L’atelier du Morne Rouge

The main objective is to extend as much as possible the international quality which is already existent as the city of Saint-Pierre has solicited that Mount Pelée be classified as UNESCO world heritage; also getting immediate protection of the sea wrecks which will constitute one of the main assets for the maritime heritage of Saint-Pierre, and then organizing numerous artistic events on the Caribbean northern coast.

Le plan d’insertion des totems

Patrick Chamoiseau explains about the process of metamorphosis: ‘Metamorphosis is first a process, as Edgar Morin clearly explains. When the caterpillar turns into a butterfly, this alteration is spectacular, just like Utopia or fundamental revolution. But this radical transformation is made gradually, respecting the initial identity.  All the caterpillar genes will then develop in a sunlit energy to produce a butterfly. Saint-Pierre and Trois-Ilets with their memories, heritages, representatives, and inhabitants, will participate in the same process: the enlightenment of everyone’s imaginary, to create something new. When people mentioned Saint-Pierre to him, Picasso used to say: ‘The volcano has certainly destroyed everything, but it has also created something.’

Le projet de Laurent Valère

In order to initiate this evolution, a group of visual artists was invited to create, using mahogany wood cylinders five meter-long, thirty-two totems to be erected temporarily at the southern entry to Saint-Pierre.

The seven nominees, Claude Cauquil, Yolanda Naranjo, François Piquet, Maure, Laurent Valére, Hervé Beuze, and Annabel Guerrero, are at work in SOCOMOR, the former factory in Morne-Rouge.

Open day presentations will give the public an opportunity to attend the work in progress and discover the productions while the artists are present.

Le projet d’Hervé Beuze

Traduction : Suzanne Lampla

lampla.suzanne@wanadoo.fr