M
2023
branch and raffia
30 x 60 x 180 cm (12 x 24 x 71 in.)
La Grotte bleue (La Possession), REUNION ISLAND
M is a depiction of Hestia, the Hellenistic goddess of the hearth. While depictions of the ancient goddess most often placed her near the hearth, she was also symbolized by a passerine bird. The order of passerines includes many families, such as that of the weavers. Réunion is home to numerous colonies of bellier birds (gendarme weavers) that build remarkable nests, which inspired this work. The technical creation of M took place mainly in a domestic setting. But its ultimate purpose was to be placed in the very location that inspired its creation. It was therefore installed on the pebble beach on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. Battered by the wind, ready to take flight, it seemed to watch over and protect the coast. It is a marker of home. It is an apotropaic figure, protective and feared. It echoes the Gorgons of Greek antiquity that appeared on the antefixes and lintels of Hellenistic doors.





