Hasta La Ideas

Dezeen promotion: a life-size plane crash constructed from wood and a field of giant dandelions are among the 10 sculptures installed across the mountainous Sancy region in France as part of this year’s Horizons arts and nature festival (+ slideshow).

Now in its ninth year, the Horizons arts and nature festival in central France takes place each summer when a variety of large-scale artworks are created across the landscape.

Hundreds of designers from a variety of backgrounds submitted proposals for the event, with a selection committee then narrowing it down to 10 winners – also including a floating cabin on the Gayme lake and a blue castle at the top of a volcanic outcrop.

Aiming to showcase the “ties between nature and art”, the works are intended to integrate with the terrain and last for a period of three and a half months.

Fine artists Alice and David Bertizzolo have created a field of 30 giant dandelions from wooden poles and plastic milk bottles.

“From far away, these shapes recall those of an urban landscape,” explained the organisers. “On approach you can see that the spheres are made of recycled milk bottles that form the dandelion clocks.”

At night, the solar-powered structures illuminate when they detect any form of movement.

A full-scale replica of a crashed plane designed by Paris-based artist Roland Cros is located at the top of the Puy de Chambourguet mountain.

Crafted from reclaimed wooden planks sourced from local mills, the structure features an integrated solar-powered lighting system.

“When night falls, the sunlight stored during the day gradually illuminates the remains piece-by-piece, slowly at first, and then gradually getting faster when a presence is detected nearby,” explained the organisers.

The piece aims to “question the limits that bound people within an environment”, and encourages them to create their own narrative whilst visiting the site.

Each of the structures will be on display until 27 September 2015. For more information about the event, visit the Horizons website.

Installations from last year’s edition of the festival include a 40-metre curtain of water running through the middle of the forest and a slatted wooden pavilion at the top of a mountain. In 2012, steel triangles protruded from a waterfall to intervene with the cascade of water.

Read on for further details from the organisers:

A pioneering event at the outset, Horizons now stands out due to its longevity. Created for the first time in the summer of 2007 in the centre of France, the event is now celebrating its ninth birthday and preparing to see in its first decade in 2016.

The recipe for this growing success is down to various factors. The incomparable natural environment of the Massif du Sancy already provides a dazzling showcase for the concept.
To this can be added a strong identity marked by a clearly defined artistic vision that is demanding and yet ready to welcome innovations and daring proposals. The event, often cited as a reference, can be justly proud of its growing reputation.

Every year hundreds of artists from all over the world try their luck, with just a handful of winners. Their wide range of backgrounds – designers, visual artists, landscape designers, architects – contribute to the event’s eclectic nature. They live through an extraordinary experience here, meeting the challenge of creating a unique artwork in the heart of majestic natural surroundings.

That is a real luck to have so many artists working in the region for over a month during the installation.

The local population is also involved in the project. Talks are held with the local children. Anyone wishing to see the artists at work is welcome. This is a way of building relationships naturally.

The public occupies a special place in the heart of the event. They are invited to interact by taking part in a wide variety of activities carried out jointly on the website and the social networks: photo competitions, the public’s vote for their favourite artwork.

www.horizons-sancy.com

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