‘Floating Garden’
— Nix Thérèse
I’m a consistent fan of the meticulous, so it’s no surprise that I unwittingly reblogged ‘Floating Garden’ six separate times in my Tumblr heyday. Set on the deep blue floor of a 13th century French castle and made completely out of well-laid salt deposits, the sparkling white particles create a hurricane-esque curl. Imagining such a destructive natural force contained in not even fully closed walls is somewhat awe-inspiring. It’s only allowed this tower as breathing room, no grains spilling the hallways or outside. Like its counterpart, effects are only felt by what’s underneath. We’re brought back to the natural by recalling what’s been dissolved and eludes our eye (whenever we see one of the fantastic satellite images or just a wave itself)—the ever-present salt.
The salt appears very fresh & untouched. Because the viewers’ bodily response often creates meaning, consider that tiptoeing around this layout is almost impossible. Small air-pockets, rarely large enough to place a foot or hand, signal us proceed cautiously. Salt sprawls, but can only overtake what’s inside its grasp. It will be crushed & redirected easily. Yet when the overall texture evokes bubbles, lace & yarn also aren’t too far off. There’s a lightness that feels almost as if I could peel a corner and drape the entire installation over me as a shawl. Even though I don’t particularly enjoy salt-texture, I instinctively want to touch… the optics make it appear softer. For a moment, I’m tricked into believing that all the sharpness melts together until there are no edges outside his handmade ones. He has a skillful control of what our eye will perceive.
While the surrounding castle’s aesthetic withers, its passage of time apparent in peeling paint, it’s survived human impact for centuries. Stones are unlikely to shift beneath us. Somehow, I’m not interested in the comfort that the space’s stability provides. Rather, when I take in the floor grain by grain, the grandeur of the space becomes less overwhelming and more needed for this extended installation. It feels like I can gently, but fully enter—maybe just with my eyes.