JULY 8, 2024 JACKIE ANDRES

Olivier Thomas, “Cathedral of Green.” Photos © Alan Aubry

In the thicket of Roumare Forest, “La Forêt Monumentale” celebrates France’s woodland heritage and ongoing preservation efforts.

Along the Seine in the thicket of Roumare Forest, an installation of thirteen striking sculptures celebrates France’s woodland heritage and ongoing preservation efforts. The handful of selected works, chosen from an open call that received more than 300 applications from 33 different countries, highlights both local artists and international creatives. The impressive project is justly titled “La Forêt Monumentale,” or “The Monumental Forest,” and is currently open to the public, encouraging viewers to gain an awareness of the country’s lush woodland identity in a physically accessible and creative way.

Ewa Dabrowska, “Herd”

One of the project’s main goals is to re-introduce audiences to a love for nature and art while cultivating a newfound respect for the forest and its gifts. While “Cathedral of Green” by Olivier Thomas provokes the viewer to think about the notion of safeguarding and protection by referencing the parallels between religious architecture and natural environments, Will Menter’s “A sound river of possibility” utilizes wind to activate oak planks, creating a rhythmic, ambient soundscape. […]

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More: Thirteen Prodigious Sculptures Nestle Among the Trees in ‘La Forêt Monumentale’ — Colossal