Flux > Antoine Milian, 2023

Flux > Antoine Milian, 2023

Between sky, earth, and water, within a lush green setting, a radiant ring unfolds, emerging from the serene expanse of the river.

The aerial installation appears to be levitating, traversing and being supported by raw steel structures that rise from the water. These architectural elements resemble gates or passageways that channel and keep the circle suspended above the shimmering surface.

The ring is a rhizome of metal, an interweaving of steel and aluminum strips, whose assembly and braiding create a continuous flow, a fluid and organic mesh with glowing red tones, standing out from the green and brown chromatic environment, giving the form an otherworldly, out-of-place character.

This installation concept was inspired by the identity and topography of the site, its aesthetic and environmental characteristics. The presence of interconnected planes and watercourses that make up the Old Somme, though intertwined and governed by the currents of the same river, flowing peacefully in a labyrinthine lacework of aquatic circuits, linked by passages, locks, and weirs… Through this mesh, a rich biodiversity unfolds, governed by natural cycles: migratory movements of wildlife, the water and seasonal cycles, the carbon and life cycles.

This grand circulation of life, this natural respiration, is embodied in this polysemic and meditative installation, which conveys the movement of an uninterrupted flow, the undulating circulation of water, or the intertwining of the surrounding dense vegetation—branches and roots woven together like a capillary network with which the structure resonates. It reflects the spontaneous, untamable movement of life that organizes itself into a continuous cycle, a tumultuous and harmonious primordial circle.

• Antoine Milian