Art Residency | Jardins d’Etretat, France, Normandy

2025 Artist Residency at the Jardins d’Étretat

A new edition embracing contrasts

The projects of Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel and Marine Nouvel were selected from among 487 high-quality proposals (a significant increase compared to the previous open call, reflecting the remarkable diversity of artistic approaches).

Two visions met on the same ground of experimentation, unfolding into works of quiet contrast. Discovering the Gardens for the first time, Marine Nouvel embraced a hyperlocal approach, immersing herself in the site — its textures, its living matter, its sensuality. She devoted most of her residency to observing the Gardens and their visitors. By contrast, Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel adopted a broader perspective, drawing on the semiotics of the territory.

The concept for his installation had first taken root years earlier, during an initial visit to Étretat. Returning as an artist-in-residence, he adapted and refined this early idea to the specificity of the Gardens, bringing it to its final form through a process of technical exploration and adjustment.

Unlike previous editions, the production phase was carried out in the artists’ own studios, before the final installation in the Gardens and the unveiling of the works on June 14, 2025. These site-specific creations will remain on view until December 2026, inviting visitors to experience new ways of engaging with the landscape.

@Léon Lacroix-Wasover

Marine Nouvel — Là où l’if l’enlace

Là où l’if l’enlace emerges at the heart of the Gardens as an ambiguous, almost organic presence. Normandy-born artist Marine Nouvel conceived a surprising sculpture that proudly reveals its shapes, suggesting a body that is not quite human. Its voluptuous pink contours embrace a yew arch in a friendly gesture, echoing the soft, rounded shapes of the topiaries. Its color contrasts vividly with the vibrant greens of its surroundings.

“These sculpted gardens immediately evoked a certain sensuality in me. I observed visitors caressing their curves, and I wanted to respond to those gestures.” — Marine Nouvel

With its warmth and vulnerability, this fleshy figure stands in contrast to the monumental alabaster cliffs and the Aiguille d’Étretat. Made of fiberglass and resin — materials unusual in Nouvel’s practice — the sculpture explores how a static medium can appear as a living, fragile, and shifting presence. Integrated into the Gardens, it becomes a part of their living ecosystem.

@Jenia Filatova

Marine Nouvel (b. 1994) is a French artist whose work navigates the space between matter and the living through hybrid forms that question femininity and its sensitive representations. Sculpture, performance, video, and installation — porous and intertwined — become vessels for her narratives. Trained in graphic design and fine arts at ESADHaR in Le Havre, she has exhibited at the Palais de Tokyo, RAMDAM, The Bomb Factory Foundation (London), Le Tetris (Le Havre), cneai= (Paris), and La Décole (Brussels). In 2023 she received the Carta Bianca Prize and was selected for the Nouveau Grand Tour 2024 by the Institut français.

Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel — razzle / d’oiseaux (1–3)

The series of kinetic sculptures razzle / d’oiseaux (1–3) draws inspiration from the wind that sweeps through the Gardens and the birds that inhabit them. Taking the form of weathervanes, the works nod to the Norman tradition while reinterpreting it in a bold, graphic manner, hovering between figuration and abstraction. Painted in deep oxblood red, their vertical stripes evoke both signaling codes and razzle dazzle naval camouflage (hence the title of the series, a game of words with “d'oiseaux” meaning birds in French). A visual tension emerges from the contrast between their sharp angles and the garden’s soft curves, heightened by the interplay of rigid aluminium and living plants.

“Made from flat elements, these sculptures resemble pictograms of birds or feathers. What interests me is that from a distance they seem flat, but they take on a third dimension when the wind activates them.” — Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel

This series continues a line of research begun in 2022 with Reverse Don Quixote, a group of weathervanes installed on the roof of the Cēsis Contemporary Art Center in Latvia. In the artist’s work, weathervanes act as “false signage”: signs that invite interpretation yet resist fixed meaning.

@Jenia Filatova

Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel (b. 1992) is a Franco-Moroccan visual artist. A graduate of ENSAD, the Beaux-Arts de Paris, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, his practice explores the tension between digital image and manual gesture: printed textures become hand-drawn lines, ink reflects light like a screen, and marks evoke both code and craft. He has exhibited at Fondation Pernod Ricard, Bétonsalon, La Panacée – MOCO, Fondation Fiminco, Komplot (Brussels), and the TGCC Foundation (Casablanca). Recipient of numerous awards (Hugot Prize, Takesada Matsutani Prize, Mustaqbal Prize), he has participated in artist residencies in Paris, Brussels, Genk, and Marrakech.

2025 Artist Residency at the Jardins d’Étretat

A new edition embracing contrasts

The projects of Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel and Marine Nouvel were selected from among 487 high-quality proposals (a significant increase compared to the previous open call, reflecting the remarkable diversity of artistic approaches). Two visions met on the same ground of experimentation, unfolding into works of quiet contrast. Discovering the Gardens for the first time, Marine Nouvel embraced a hyperlocal approach, immersing herself in the site — its textures, its living matter, its sensuality. She devoted most of her residency to observing the Gardens and their visitors. By contrast, Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel adopted a broader perspective, drawing on the semiotics of the territory.

The concept for his installation had first taken root years earlier, during an initial visit to Étretat. Returning as an artist-in-residence, he adapted and refined this early idea to the specificity of the Gardens, bringing it to its final form through a process of technical exploration and adjustment. Unlike previous editions, the production phase was carried out in the artists’ own studios, before the final installation in the Gardens and the unveiling of the works on June 14, 2025. These site-specific creations will remain on view until December 2026, inviting visitors to experience new ways of engaging with the landscape.

@Léon Lacroix-Wasover

Marine Nouvel — Là où l’if l’enlace

Là où l’if l’enlace emerges at the heart of the Gardens as an ambiguous, almost organic presence. Normandy-born artist Marine Nouvel conceived a surprising sculpture that proudly reveals its shapes, suggesting a body that is not quite human. Its voluptuous pink contours embrace a yew arch in a friendly gesture, echoing the soft, rounded shapes of the topiaries. Its color contrasts vividly with the vibrant greens of its surroundings.

“These sculpted gardens immediately evoked a certain sensuality in me. I observed visitors caressing their curves, and I wanted to respond to those gestures.” — Marine Nouvel

With its warmth and vulnerability, this fleshy figure stands in contrast to the monumental alabaster cliffs and the Aiguille d’Étretat. Made of fiberglass and resin — materials unusual in Nouvel’s practice — the sculpture explores how a static medium can appear as a living, fragile, and shifting presence. Integrated into the Gardens, it becomes a part of their living ecosystem.

@Jenia Filatova

Marine Nouvel (b. 1994) is a French artist whose work navigates the space between matter and the living through hybrid forms that question femininity and its sensitive representations. Sculpture, performance, video, and installation — porous and intertwined — become vessels for her narratives. Trained in graphic design and fine arts at ESADHaR in Le Havre, she has exhibited at the Palais de Tokyo, RAMDAM, The Bomb Factory Foundation (London), Le Tetris (Le Havre), cneai= (Paris), and La Décole (Brussels). In 2023 she received the Carta Bianca Prize and was selected for the Nouveau Grand Tour 2024 by the Institut français.

Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel — razzle / d’oiseaux (1–3)

The series of kinetic sculptures razzle / d’oiseaux (1–3) draws inspiration from the wind that sweeps through the Gardens and the birds that inhabit them. Taking the form of weathervanes, the works nod to the Norman tradition while reinterpreting it in a bold, graphic manner, hovering between figuration and abstraction. Painted in deep oxblood red, their vertical stripes evoke both signaling codes and razzle dazzle naval camouflage (hence the title of the series, a game of words with “d'oiseaux” meaning birds in French). A visual tension emerges from the contrast between their sharp angles and the garden’s soft curves, heightened by the interplay of rigid aluminium and living plants.

“Made from flat elements, these sculptures resemble pictograms of birds or feathers. What interests me is that from a distance they seem flat, but they take on a third dimension when the wind activates them.” — Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel

This series continues a line of research begun in 2022 with Reverse Don Quixote, a group of weathervanes installed on the roof of the Cēsis Contemporary Art Center in Latvia. In the artist’s work, weathervanes act as “false signage”: signs that invite interpretation yet resist fixed meaning.

@Jenia Filatova

Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel (b. 1992) is a Franco-Moroccan visual artist. A graduate of ENSAD, the Beaux-Arts de Paris, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, his practice explores the tension between digital image and manual gesture: printed textures become hand-drawn lines, ink reflects light like a screen, and marks evoke both code and craft. He has exhibited at Fondation Pernod Ricard, Bétonsalon, La Panacée – MOCO, Fondation Fiminco, Komplot (Brussels), and the TGCC Foundation (Casablanca). Recipient of numerous awards (Hugot Prize, Takesada Matsutani Prize, Mustaqbal Prize), he has participated in artist residencies in Paris, Brussels, Genk, and Marrakech.

2025 Artist Residency
at the Jardins d’Étretat

A new edition embracing contrasts

The projects of Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel and Marine Nouvel were selected from among 487 high-quality proposals (a significant increase compared to the previous open call, reflecting the remarkable diversity of artistic approaches). Two visions met on the same ground of experimentation, unfolding into works of quiet contrast. Discovering the Gardens for the first time, Marine Nouvel embraced a hyperlocal approach, immersing herself in the site — its textures, its living matter, its sensuality. She devoted most of her residency to observing the Gardens and their visitors. By contrast, Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel adopted a broader perspective, drawing on the semiotics of the territory.

The concept for his installation had first taken root years earlier, during an initial visit to Étretat. Returning as an artist-in-residence, he adapted and refined this early idea to the specificity of the Gardens, bringing it to its final form through a process of technical exploration and adjustment. Unlike previous editions, the production phase was carried out in the artists’ own studios, before the final installation in the Gardens and the unveiling of the works on June 14, 2025. These site-specific creations will remain on view until December 2026, inviting visitors to experience new ways of engaging with the landscape.

@Léon Lacroix-Wasover

Marine Nouvel — Là où l’if l’enlace

Là où l’if l’enlace emerges at the heart of the Gardens as an ambiguous, almost organic presence. Normandy-born artist Marine Nouvel conceived a surprising sculpture that proudly reveals its shapes, suggesting a body that is not quite human. Its voluptuous pink contours embrace a yew arch in a friendly gesture, echoing the soft, rounded shapes of the topiaries. Its color contrasts vividly with the vibrant greens of its surroundings.

“These sculpted gardens immediately evoked a certain sensuality in me. I observed visitors caressing their curves, and I wanted to respond to those gestures.” — Marine Nouvel

With its warmth and vulnerability, this fleshy figure stands in contrast to the monumental alabaster cliffs and the Aiguille d’Étretat. Made of fiberglass and resin — materials unusual in Nouvel’s practice — the sculpture explores how a static medium can appear as a living, fragile, and shifting presence. Integrated into the Gardens, it becomes a part of their living ecosystem.

@Jenia Filatova

Marine Nouvel (b. 1994) is a French artist whose work navigates the space between matter and the living through hybrid forms that question femininity and its sensitive representations. Sculpture, performance, video, and installation — porous and intertwined — become vessels for her narratives. Trained in graphic design and fine arts at ESADHaR in Le Havre, she has exhibited at the Palais de Tokyo, RAMDAM, The Bomb Factory Foundation (London), Le Tetris (Le Havre), cneai= (Paris), and La Décole (Brussels). In 2023 she received the Carta Bianca Prize and was selected for the Nouveau Grand Tour 2024 by the Institut français.

Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel — razzle / d’oiseaux (1–3)

The series of kinetic sculptures razzle / d’oiseaux (1–3) draws inspiration from the wind that sweeps through the Gardens and the birds that inhabit them. Taking the form of weathervanes, the works nod to the Norman tradition while reinterpreting it in a bold, graphic manner, hovering between figuration and abstraction. Painted in deep oxblood red, their vertical stripes evoke both signaling codes and razzle dazzle naval camouflage (hence the title of the series, a game of words with “d'oiseaux” meaning birds in French). A visual tension emerges from the contrast between their sharp angles and the garden’s soft curves, heightened by the interplay of rigid aluminium and living plants.

“Made from flat elements, these sculptures resemble pictograms of birds or feathers. What interests me is that from a distance they seem flat, but they take on a third dimension when the wind activates them.” — Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel

This series continues a line of research begun in 2022 with Reverse Don Quixote, a group of weathervanes installed on the roof of the Cēsis Contemporary Art Center in Latvia. In the artist’s work, weathervanes act as “false signage”: signs that invite interpretation yet resist fixed meaning.

@Jenia Filatova

Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel (b. 1992) is a Franco-Moroccan visual artist. A graduate of ENSAD, the Beaux-Arts de Paris, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, his practice explores the tension between digital image and manual gesture: printed textures become hand-drawn lines, ink reflects light like a screen, and marks evoke both code and craft. He has exhibited at Fondation Pernod Ricard, Bétonsalon, La Panacée – MOCO, Fondation Fiminco, Komplot (Brussels), and the TGCC Foundation (Casablanca). Recipient of numerous awards (Hugot Prize, Takesada Matsutani Prize, Mustaqbal Prize), he has participated in artist residencies in Paris, Brussels, Genk, and Marrakech.

2025 Artist Residency
at the Jardins d’Étretat

A new edition embracing contrasts

The projects of Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel and Marine Nouvel were selected from among 487 high-quality proposals (a significant increase compared to the previous open call, reflecting the remarkable diversity of artistic approaches). Two visions met on the same ground of experimentation, unfolding into works of quiet contrast. Discovering the Gardens for the first time, Marine Nouvel embraced a hyperlocal approach, immersing herself in the site — its textures, its living matter, its sensuality. She devoted most of her residency to observing the Gardens and their visitors. By contrast, Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel adopted a broader perspective, drawing on the semiotics of the territory.

The concept for his installation had first taken root years earlier, during an initial visit to Étretat. Returning as an artist-in-residence, he adapted and refined this early idea to the specificity of the Gardens, bringing it to its final form through a process of technical exploration and adjustment. Unlike previous editions, the production phase was carried out in the artists’ own studios, before the final installation in the Gardens and the unveiling of the works on June 14, 2025. These site-specific creations will remain on view until December 2026, inviting visitors to experience new ways of engaging with the landscape.

@Léon Lacroix-Wasover

Marine Nouvel — Là où l’if l’enlace

Là où l’if l’enlace emerges at the heart of the Gardens as an ambiguous, almost organic presence. Normandy-born artist Marine Nouvel conceived a surprising sculpture that proudly reveals its shapes, suggesting a body that is not quite human. Its voluptuous pink contours embrace a yew arch in a friendly gesture, echoing the soft, rounded shapes of the topiaries. Its color contrasts vividly with the vibrant greens of its surroundings.

“These sculpted gardens immediately evoked a certain sensuality in me. I observed visitors caressing their curves, and I wanted to respond to those gestures.” — Marine Nouvel

With its warmth and vulnerability, this fleshy figure stands in contrast to the monumental alabaster cliffs and the Aiguille d’Étretat. Made of fiberglass and resin — materials unusual in Nouvel’s practice — the sculpture explores how a static medium can appear as a living, fragile, and shifting presence. Integrated into the Gardens, it becomes a part of their living ecosystem.

@Jenia Filatova

Marine Nouvel (b. 1994) is a French artist whose work navigates the space between matter and the living through hybrid forms that question femininity and its sensitive representations. Sculpture, performance, video, and installation — porous and intertwined — become vessels for her narratives. Trained in graphic design and fine arts at ESADHaR in Le Havre, she has exhibited at the Palais de Tokyo, RAMDAM, The Bomb Factory Foundation (London), Le Tetris (Le Havre), cneai= (Paris), and La Décole (Brussels). In 2023 she received the Carta Bianca Prize and was selected for the Nouveau Grand Tour 2024 by the Institut français.

Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel — razzle / d’oiseaux (1–3)

The series of kinetic sculptures razzle / d’oiseaux (1–3) draws inspiration from the wind that sweeps through the Gardens and the birds that inhabit them. Taking the form of weathervanes, the works nod to the Norman tradition while reinterpreting it in a bold, graphic manner, hovering between figuration and abstraction. Painted in deep oxblood red, their vertical stripes evoke both signaling codes and razzle dazzle naval camouflage (hence the title of the series, a game of words with “d'oiseaux” meaning birds in French). A visual tension emerges from the contrast between their sharp angles and the garden’s soft curves, heightened by the interplay of rigid aluminium and living plants.

“Made from flat elements, these sculptures resemble pictograms of birds or feathers. What interests me is that from a distance they seem flat, but they take on a third dimension when the wind activates them.” — Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel

This series continues a line of research begun in 2022 with Reverse Don Quixote, a group of weathervanes installed on the roof of the Cēsis Contemporary Art Center in Latvia. In the artist’s work, weathervanes act as “false signage”: signs that invite interpretation yet resist fixed meaning.

@Jenia Filatova

Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel (b. 1992) is a Franco-Moroccan visual artist. A graduate of ENSAD, the Beaux-Arts de Paris, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, his practice explores the tension between digital image and manual gesture: printed textures become hand-drawn lines, ink reflects light like a screen, and marks evoke both code and craft. He has exhibited at Fondation Pernod Ricard, Bétonsalon, La Panacée – MOCO, Fondation Fiminco, Komplot (Brussels), and the TGCC Foundation (Casablanca). Recipient of numerous awards (Hugot Prize, Takesada Matsutani Prize, Mustaqbal Prize), he has participated in artist residencies in Paris, Brussels, Genk, and Marrakech.

Launch of the Jardins d’Étretat Art Residency program

In December 2022, Jardins d’Étretat initiated the art residency program aimed at enriching the artistic heritage of Normandy by creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and supporting young artists.

Artists and art collectives were invited to submit an application for an artistic research project that would innovatively examine the cultural and natural heritage of the region. This research would lead to the creation of an artwork – a site-specific installation in the space of the gardens. The artists selected were given the opportunity to stay at Villa Roxelane with full board accommodation, as well as a grant for the implementation of their large-scale project. One of the main goals of the program is to create all the necessary conditions for artists to build relationships with local organizations and fully immerse themselves in the context of the Seine-Maritime department.

Artists in Residence 2023

Isabel Judez and Iga Vandenhove’s project was selected out of 178 applications. The artists proposed a multidisciplinary project that included conducting artistic research, collaborating with local actors, and producing an installation with visual and sound dimensions. In February, Judez and Vandenhove began researching the mineral landscape and ecosystem balance of Seine-Maritime and decided to work with materials prevalent in the region. Working with stone is a complex endeavor, so they formed a partnership with the Schuman-Perret technical school in Le Havre involving teachers, students and volunteers in the creation of the installation.

Judez and Vandenhove not only studied the mineral diversity of the region in depth, but thoroughly familiarized themselves with the characteristics of the Jardins d’Étretat as a place for creative research and exhibition. They paid special attention to the climate of Étretat and to the ever changing conditions of the gardens, in order to select adequate engineering solutions for the installation’s production. The process was completed on August 1st with the unveiling of the work Héritage Érodé in the Jardin d’Amont. The artwork will be on view in the gardens until December 24, 2024

Héritage Érodé Project

Combining visual and sound elements, this site-specific installation is inspired by the mineral identity of Upper Normandy. Judez and Vandenhove analyzed the contrasts of the architectural and natural heritage of the region, and used materials that are present both in the city and in the natural landscape: sedimentary rocks, clay, cement.

The work consists of thousands of stones representing different stages of natural and artificial erosion of materials. Placed on three terraces on different levels, the installation shows a section of the Aval cliff in its constant formation and destruction. This kinetic effect depends on the visitor’s point of view: from one spot the work seems to form the complete landscape of a cliff, and from another it disintegrates and reverts to the appearance of separate pieces of stone, reminding us how precarious the state of natural resources is.

Living organisms, which played a key role in shaping the cliffs of the Alabaster Coast, hold a primordial place within the installation through the use of marine terrazzo. This material, made from the remains of sea creatures, shells and cement, epitomizes the intertwining between the natural and the artificial.

These polarities are also reflected in the motion activated soundscape. Multidirectional audio sources create a sound environment reminiscent of the Channel coast. However, here too lies an illusion: the sound of the sea was in fact recreated with the use of a concrete mixer recorded in the workshop, while a drill imitates the calls of seagulls. The work directly raises the question of the human impact on modern ecosystem cycles and challenges the boundary between the natural and the human-made.

Film by Sebastien Abes

About the artists

Isabel Judez (Venezuela, 1992)

is a Venezuelan artist and architect of Spanish origin, living and working in Paris. She pays particular attention to the themes of identity and belonging, favoring site-specific projects and the reuse of materials found in the areas where she decides to work. Judez’s involvement of researchers, engineers, volunteers, activists and other participants in the creation process has become a feature of her artistic method. Inspired by kinetic art, she often uses the language of geometric abstraction. She co-authored the installation Héritage Érodé at Jardins d’Étretat and was the lead artist for the visual concept.

Iga Vandenhove (France, 1989)

is a French sound and visual artist, and documentary filmmaker. She lives and works in France and in various countries where her projects take her (most recently Bolivia). Vandenhove draws on sound and visual polysemy, questioning the role of our senses and imagination in the perception of the environment. Lately she has been exploring this process, playing with superpositions and interweaving between the human, animal and technological worlds. She is also interested in collective myths and personal beliefs on the borderline between fiction and reality. Vandenhove’s artistic practice often relies on field recording, as well as on a collaborative and social approach to artistic creation. She co-authored the installation Héritage Érodé at Jardins d’Étretat and was the lead artist for the sound creation.

Launch of the Jardins d’Étretat Art Residency program

In December 2022, Jardins d’Étretat initiated the art residency program aimed at enriching the artistic heritage of Normandy by creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and supporting young artists.

Artists and art collectives were invited to submit an application for an artistic research project that would innovatively examine the cultural and natural heritage of the region. This research would lead to the creation of an artwork – a site-specific installation in the space of the gardens. The artists selected were given the opportunity to stay at Villa Roxelane with full board accommodation, as well as a grant for the implementation of their large-scale project. One of the main goals of the program is to create all the necessary conditions for artists to build relationships with local organizations and fully immerse themselves in the context of the Seine-Maritime department.

Artists in Residence 2023

Isabel Judez and Iga Vandenhove’s project was selected out of 178 applications. The artists proposed a multidisciplinary project that included conducting artistic research, collaborating with local actors, and producing an installation with visual and sound dimensions. In February, Judez and Vandenhove began researching the mineral landscape and ecosystem balance of Seine-Maritime and decided to work with materials prevalent in the region. Working with stone is a complex endeavor, so they formed a partnership with the Schuman-Perret technical school in Le Havre involving teachers, students and volunteers in the creation of the installation.

Judez and Vandenhove not only studied the mineral diversity of the region in depth, but thoroughly familiarized themselves with the characteristics of the Jardins d’Étretat as a place for creative research and exhibition. They paid special attention to the climate of Étretat and to the ever changing conditions of the gardens, in order to select adequate engineering solutions for the installation’s production. The process was completed on August 1st with the unveiling of the work Héritage Érodé in the Jardin d’Amont. The artwork will be on view in the gardens until December 24, 2024

Héritage Érodé Project

Combining visual and sound elements, this site-specific installation is inspired by the mineral identity of Upper Normandy. Judez and Vandenhove analyzed the contrasts of the architectural and natural heritage of the region, and used materials that are present both in the city and in the natural landscape: sedimentary rocks, clay, cement.

The work consists of thousands of stones representing different stages of natural and artificial erosion of materials. Placed on three terraces on different levels, the installation shows a section of the Aval cliff in its constant formation and destruction. This kinetic effect depends on the visitor’s point of view: from one spot the work seems to form the complete landscape of a cliff, and from another it disintegrates and reverts to the appearance of separate pieces of stone, reminding us how precarious the state of natural resources is.

Living organisms, which played a key role in shaping the cliffs of the Alabaster Coast, hold a primordial place within the installation through the use of marine terrazzo. This material, made from the remains of sea creatures, shells and cement, epitomizes the intertwining between the natural and the artificial.

These polarities are also reflected in the motion activated soundscape. Multidirectional audio sources create a sound environment reminiscent of the Channel coast. However, here too lies an illusion: the sound of the sea was in fact recreated with the use of a concrete mixer recorded in the workshop, while a drill imitates the calls of seagulls. The work directly raises the question of the human impact on modern ecosystem cycles and challenges the boundary between the natural and the human-made.

Film by Sebastien Abes

About the artists

Isabel Judez (Venezuela, 1992)

is a Venezuelan artist and architect of Spanish origin, living and working in Paris. She pays particular attention to the themes of identity and belonging, favoring site-specific projects and the reuse of materials found in the areas where she decides to work. Judez’s involvement of researchers, engineers, volunteers, activists and other participants in the creation process has become a feature of her artistic method. Inspired by kinetic art, she often uses the language of geometric abstraction. She co-authored the installation Héritage Érodé at Jardins d’Étretat and was the lead artist for the visual concept.

Iga Vandenhove (France, 1989)

is a French sound and visual artist, and documentary filmmaker. She lives and works in France and in various countries where her projects take her (most recently Bolivia). Vandenhove draws on sound and visual polysemy, questioning the role of our senses and imagination in the perception of the environment. Lately she has been exploring this process, playing with superpositions and interweaving between the human, animal and technological worlds. She is also interested in collective myths and personal beliefs on the borderline between fiction and reality. Vandenhove’s artistic practice often relies on field recording, as well as on a collaborative and social approach to artistic creation. She co-authored the installation Héritage Érodé at Jardins d’Étretat and was the lead artist for the sound creation.

Launch of the Jardins d’Étretat Art Residency program

In December 2022, Jardins d’Étretat initiated the art residency program aimed at enriching the artistic heritage of Normandy by creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and supporting young artists.

Artists and art collectives were invited to submit an application for an artistic research project that would innovatively examine the cultural and natural heritage of the region. This research would lead to the creation of an artwork – a site-specific installation in the space of the gardens. The artists selected were given the opportunity to stay at Villa Roxelane with full board accommodation, as well as a grant for the implementation of their large-scale project. One of the main goals of the program is to create all the necessary conditions for artists to build relationships with local organizations and fully immerse themselves in the context of the Seine-Maritime department.

Artists in Residence 2023

Isabel Judez and Iga Vandenhove’s project was selected out of 178 applications. The artists proposed a multidisciplinary project that included conducting artistic research, collaborating with local actors, and producing an installation with visual and sound dimensions. In February, Judez and Vandenhove began researching the mineral landscape and ecosystem balance of Seine-Maritime and decided to work with materials prevalent in the region. Working with stone is a complex endeavor, so they formed a partnership with the Schuman-Perret technical school in Le Havre involving teachers, students and volunteers in the creation of the installation.

Judez and Vandenhove not only studied the mineral diversity of the region in depth, but thoroughly familiarized themselves with the characteristics of the Jardins d’Étretat as a place for creative research and exhibition. They paid special attention to the climate of Étretat and to the ever changing conditions of the gardens, in order to select adequate engineering solutions for the installation’s production. The process was completed on August 1st with the unveiling of the work Héritage Érodé in the Jardin d’Amont. The artwork will be on view in the gardens until December 24, 2024

Héritage Érodé Project

Combining visual and sound elements, this site-specific installation is inspired by the mineral identity of Upper Normandy. Judez and Vandenhove analyzed the contrasts of the architectural and natural heritage of the region, and used materials that are present both in the city and in the natural landscape: sedimentary rocks, clay, cement. The work consists of thousands of stones representing different stages of natural and artificial erosion of materials. Placed on three terraces on different levels, the installation shows a section of the Aval cliff in its constant formation and destruction. This kinetic effect depends on the visitor’s point of view: from one spot the work seems to form the complete landscape of a cliff, and from another it disintegrates and reverts to the appearance of separate pieces of stone, reminding us how precarious the state of natural resources is.

Living organisms, which played a key role in shaping the cliffs of the Alabaster Coast, hold a primordial place within the installation through the use of marine terrazzo. This material, made from the remains of sea creatures, shells and cement, epitomizes the intertwining between the natural and the artificial. These polarities are also reflected in the motion activated soundscape. Multidirectional audio sources create a sound environment reminiscent of the Channel coast. However, here too lies an illusion: the sound of the sea was in fact recreated with the use of a concrete mixer recorded in the workshop, while a drill imitates the calls of seagulls. The work directly raises the question of the human impact on modern ecosystem cycles and challenges the boundary between the natural and the human-made.

Film by Sebastien Abes

About the artists

Isabel Judez (Venezuela, 1992)

is a Venezuelan artist and architect of Spanish origin, living and working in Paris. She pays particular attention to the themes of identity and belonging, favoring site-specific projects and the reuse of materials found in the areas where she decides to work. Judez’s involvement of researchers, engineers, volunteers, activists and other participants in the creation process has become a feature of her artistic method. Inspired by kinetic art, she often uses the language of geometric abstraction. She co-authored the installation Héritage Érodé at Jardins d’Étretat and was the lead artist for the visual concept.

Iga Vandenhove (France, 1989)

is a French sound and visual artist, and documentary filmmaker. She lives and works in France and in various countries where her projects take her (most recently Bolivia). Vandenhove draws on sound and visual polysemy, questioning the role of our senses and imagination in the perception of the environment. Lately she has been exploring this process, playing with superpositions and interweaving between the human, animal and technological worlds. She is also interested in collective myths and personal beliefs on the borderline between fiction and reality. Vandenhove’s artistic practice often relies on field recording, as well as on a collaborative and social approach to artistic creation. She co-authored the installation Héritage Érodé at Jardins d’Étretat and was the lead artist for the sound creation.

Launch of the Jardins d’Étretat Art Residency program

In December 2022, Jardins d’Étretat initiated the art residency program aimed at enriching the artistic heritage of Normandy by creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and supporting young artists.

Artists and art collectives were invited to submit an application for an artistic research project that would innovatively examine the cultural and natural heritage of the region. This research would lead to the creation of an artwork – a site-specific installation in the space of the gardens. The artists selected were given the opportunity to stay at Villa Roxelane with full board accommodation, as well as a grant for the implementation of their large-scale project. One of the main goals of the program is to create all the necessary conditions for artists to build relationships with local organizations and fully immerse themselves in the context of the Seine-Maritime department.

Artists in Residence 2023

Isabel Judez and Iga Vandenhove’s project was selected out of 178 applications. The artists proposed a multidisciplinary project that included conducting artistic research, collaborating with local actors, and producing an installation with visual and sound dimensions. In February, Judez and Vandenhove began researching the mineral landscape and ecosystem balance of Seine-Maritime and decided to work with materials prevalent in the region. Working with stone is a complex endeavor, so they formed a partnership with the Schuman-Perret technical school in Le Havre involving teachers, students and volunteers in the creation of the installation.

Judez and Vandenhove not only studied the mineral diversity of the region in depth, but thoroughly familiarized themselves with the characteristics of the Jardins d’Étretat as a place for creative research and exhibition. They paid special attention to the climate of Étretat and to the ever changing conditions of the gardens, in order to select adequate engineering solutions for the installation’s production. The process was completed on August 1st with the unveiling of the work Héritage Érodé in the Jardin d’Amont. The artwork will be on view in the gardens until December 24, 2024

Héritage Érodé Project

Combining visual and sound elements, this site-specific installation is inspired by the mineral identity of Upper Normandy. Judez and Vandenhove analyzed the contrasts of the architectural and natural heritage of the region, and used materials that are present both in the city and in the natural landscape: sedimentary rocks, clay, cement.

The work consists of thousands of stones representing different stages of natural and artificial erosion of materials. Placed on three terraces on different levels, the installation shows a section of the Aval cliff in its constant formation and destruction. This kinetic effect depends on the visitor’s point of view: from one spot the work seems to form the complete landscape of a cliff, and from another it disintegrates and reverts to the appearance of separate pieces of stone, reminding us how precarious the state of natural resources is.

Living organisms, which played a key role in shaping the cliffs of the Alabaster Coast, hold a primordial place within the installation through the use of marine terrazzo. This material, made from the remains of sea creatures, shells and cement, epitomizes the intertwining between the natural and the artificial.

These polarities are also reflected in the motion activated soundscape. Multidirectional audio sources create a sound environment reminiscent of the Channel coast. However, here too lies an illusion: the sound of the sea was in fact recreated with the use of a concrete mixer recorded in the workshop, while a drill imitates the calls of seagulls. The work directly raises the question of the human impact on modern ecosystem cycles and challenges the boundary between the natural and the human-made.

Film by Sebastien Abes

About the artists

Isabel Judez (Venezuela, 1992)

is a Venezuelan artist and architect of Spanish origin, living and working in Paris. She pays particular attention to the themes of identity and belonging, favoring site-specific projects and the reuse of materials found in the areas where she decides to work. Judez’s involvement of researchers, engineers, volunteers, activists and other participants in the creation process has become a feature of her artistic method. Inspired by kinetic art, she often uses the language of geometric abstraction. She co-authored the installation Héritage Érodé at Jardins d’Étretat and was the lead artist for the visual concept.

Iga Vandenhove (France, 1989)

is a French sound and visual artist, and documentary filmmaker. She lives and works in France and in various countries where her projects take her (most recently Bolivia). Vandenhove draws on sound and visual polysemy, questioning the role of our senses and imagination in the perception of the environment. Lately she has been exploring this process, playing with superpositions and interweaving between the human, animal and technological worlds. She is also interested in collective myths and personal beliefs on the borderline between fiction and reality. Vandenhove’s artistic practice often relies on field recording, as well as on a collaborative and social approach to artistic creation. She co-authored the installation Héritage Érodé at Jardins d’Étretat and was the lead artist for the sound creation.