The Dancer And her Light Rays
1% Cultural Commission from the Mutual Fund as part of the urban renewal operation Balzac -Touraine – Marronniers district
Vitry-sur-Seine, France – 2017
The Dancer and her Light Rays pays tribute both to the women of the district and to female and historical feminist figures. It takes the form of a column on which stands a floating, twirling dancer. In each hand she holds a prism that projects rainbows onto the ground. The prism is replete with symbolism, and has both a metaphorical and poetic dimension. Prisms are concealed in seven different places in the area, attached to street lights. There is an accompanying story that acts as a new piece of urban mythology. The work is intended to be a place for interaction fostering the development of social bonds, with the light from the prisms involving local residents in a ritual of exchange.
Materials: Sculpture and Column: Bronze – Seats: Granite – Legend Plate: Enameled Lava
Dimensions: Sculpture: Total height: 700 cm above ground – Seats: L 164 x W 35 x H 43cm – Legend plaque: 280 x 290 mm, thickness 25 mm
Weight: Sculpture: 300kg – Column: 700kg – Seat : 670kg – bench
Archive research, meetings with community groups and guided walks given by local residents
The singularity of Cécile Pitois´ sculptures is that they generate or give rise to different forms of appropriation of the urban space. With all of her creations, the artist invites the city dweller to “share a ritual inspired by the historical context. This ritual dimension involves a dual experience of the moment and of the place, personal and collective” offering people a way to experience the space and prolong the tale’s story in their own way.
