What happened last Friday in the aisles of the magnificent English garden of Château de Fontainebleau ? At the beginning of the afternoon, an employee who made his safety round noticed that two works of art currently presented as part of the exhibition “Large II, the spirit of the forest” had been degraded.
A complaint was immediately filed with the Imperial City police station. “For us, it does not look like an act of free vandalism or even a militant gesture but rather to clumsiness, even stupidity,” says Sylvain Moulène, the director of communication of the castle.
This Monday, security barriers surrounded “the praise of the flight”, the work of Philippe Ramette which represents a portico of swing. It was the seat that was damaged. “Perhaps people had fun climbing on it and he won,” suggests Sylvain Moulène. At this place, lawns are allowed. It is a desire to present an outdoor exhibition and accessible to everyone. »»
Artists work on a “quick solution”
The second damaged work is installed nearby. Called “heroic fantasy”, this creation of Max Coulon represents a concrete character with a rifle, who was torn and broken. A prejudice of just over 30,000 euros has been mentioned, an amount that the castle does not confirm. “The two artists have been warned and are already working on a quick solution,” continues management. For Max Coulon’s work, it should be arranged by Thursday. The castle takes the opportunity to remind the public the need to pay attention and to contemplate rather than touch.
The exhibition, designed as a discovery course according to the wanderings of visitors, is open from May 25 to September 21. It allows you to discover 40 works by 25 artists scattered not only in the English garden but all over the field. You can even admire a signed by the artist Wang Kiping installed in the city center Place Napoleon.
