The origin of the Bacalan fountains - Clémence van Lunen

To mark the unveiling of the Bacalan fountains, created by Clémence van Lunen for Place Buscaillet as part of Bordeaux Métropole’s ‘Garonne’ art commission, MADD Bordeaux presents the development of the project and exhibits a selection of the artist’s sculptures: *Wicked Flowers* (2012), a haunting variation on monumental flowers arranged in sturdy vases, and the ‘Tang Family’ series, covered in lead-glazes in shades of green, yellow and brown, paying homage to Chinese San Cai ceramics from the Tang dynasty (618–907).

This exhibition, which begins on the ground floor of the museum, is held on the second floor of the Hôtel de Lalande, in the rooms dedicated to Bordeaux’s earthenware industry, focusing on the successive factories of David Johnston and Jules Vieillard & Cie, which were also based in the Bacalan district during the 19th century. The hundreds of decorative motifs made possible by the techniques employed by Bordeaux earthenware makers create a striking dialogue with the artist’s monumental pieces featuring vibrant glazes.

The Bacalan Fountains by Clémence van Lunen 
‘I have designed two fountain sculptures for the Adolphe Buscaillet Garden to allow the water to trickle, bounce, spurt, overflow, lap, gurgle, sparkle and shine – but also to quench one’s thirst. The large fountain consists of a very large jug and an unlikely stack of plinths, vases and flowers made of stoneware, partially glazed in candy colours: pink, yellow, green and blue; A second fountain, resembling a flower holding a basin in its head and also made of glazed stoneware, dispenses drinking water to children through the mouth of a monkey nestled in its plinth. Three tonnes of clay were required to enable me to shape this structure, which stands over four metres tall; its components were then fired at 1,260 degrees in enormous ceramic kilns. The instability and whimsy I sought to achieve in the composition required – in order to ensure its feasibility and, in particular, the internal metal structure – the expertise of design offices, architects, engineers, various contractors, metal sculptors, as well as the full artistry of a passionate fountain-maker. I have freely drawn on the ancient theme of the ‘gushing vase’, a symbol of fertility originating in Mesopotamia; this theme is echoed in numerous fountains, including that of the Three Graces on Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux. I have joyfully – or ‘hardiment’, as the Walloons say – attempted to bring joy to Place Adolphe Buscaillet, to turn it into a little paradise, which cannot be conceived without water, without flowers and, I believe, without a touch of humour either.”

The Garonne Art Commission
Launched in 2013, the Garonne Art Commission builds on the contemporary art commissions developed by Bordeaux Métropole. It takes the river as its unifying theme and forms part of the wider debate on urban planning, ecology, water management, and the regeneration and revitalisation of public spaces. It is within this context that the artist Clémence van Lunen was invited to design a fountain for Place Adolphe Buscaillet in the Bacalan district.

AROUND THE EXHIBITION

Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 September at 11.30 am:
Meet Clémence van Lunen as part of European Heritage Days (further special events are currently being organised).

Friday 12 October at 3.00 pm: 
Event with Clémence van Lunen – Free – Booking required

October :
Clémence van Lunen to speak to primary school classes in Bacalan.

Vacances de la Toussaint :
Workshops for children and adults led by Florent Dubois 

The museum would like to thank the following for their loyal support

Château Haut-Bailly,
Honorary Patron

The Friends of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design
Le Chapon Fin
Château Nairac
The Crus Bourgeois of the Médoc
Galeries Lafayette
The wine merchant DIVA
Texaa®