Visitors having a look at Sophie's project...
Have you heard of “La Ronde des Quartiers”? It is the name given to a lovely walk around the city of Aurillac. It is indeed a pleasure to discover the different neighbourhoods along this 22km circuit, even by bike on a wet and cold March day, which is how I first discovered it...
This circuit inspired me for my Bwhat?! arts project; I intend to create “artistic” milestones with enigmatic messages on them so that I can “communicate” with the people walking along the “Ronde des Quartiers”.
Milestones normally indicate the distance to a destination. But as this hike is a circuit, with no particular starting point, milestones would be useless. That is why I have removed their role as distance/destination markers. That way, people can keep rambling (endlessly) in a loop!
I also had the idea of creating mailboxes which would allow the walkers to leave and receive messages. The concept of “mailstones” was launched, i.e. a mix of mailboxes and milestones.
But, what kind of messages will I leave? Well, words that people might find fun or thought-provoking.
Every mailstone is the same shape. What changes is the writing, apart from “←22km→” written on the top, and “The road to happiness” and “Have fun!” written on the sides. Only the message on the front is different every time. “←22km→” is the length of the circuit and is an ironic take on the fact that there is no actual final destination (making the mailstones useless from a practical point of view and just a daft work of art!).“The road to happiness” is there because I think this ramble is really wonderful (though it might also make one think that, as the circuit is potentially never-ending, happiness is always out-of-reach...). “Have fun!” is a “yellow brick road” imperative; to have fun in life is essential. But, on the pilgrimage through life, is finding happiness and having fun the ultimate point of existence? Sometimes, the journey seems endless and tiring...
The messages are:
CHEESE! When someone takes your picture, you have to say “cheese!” Also, the Cantal is a cheese (it is as much part of our identity as the rocky landscape...). If you do not understand what I mean, well, that’s hard cheese!
UP↓ Which way is “up”? (this was inspired by Piero Manzoni’s “Socle du Monde” and the mark on cardboard boxes used for transporting stuff). Finding your way on this walk is easy, but, in life, finding your way is not always that obvious...
A LONE(LY) BENCH I like this idea because if you do the hike alone you can sit on the mailstone and look at the landscape...
FRAGILE This is ironic because a mailstone is not fragile. But, nothing, in the end, is permanent...
ROCK Mailstones are made of rock and they do not “roll”! Plus, I love Rock & Roll!
SING! : Follow this order if you are fed up walking! And, they say, trees whisper, so standing stones probably sing.
DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? There is something silly in an inanimate object asking us this question. Can a stone itself know that it exists? We can also ask ourselves the big existential question...
INSERT A COIN The frustrating thing is that this stone is not a slot machine; at least you will not be disappointed not to win the jackpot!
MAKE A WISH What do you want most out of life?
PLINTH This is a “standing” stone! i.e. you can stand on it and stand still as a statue for a while and be admired for 15 minutes.
PRAY STATION This is a vague pun on the “PLAY STATION” game, so it is a comment I suppose on the futility of existence (video games are good time-wasters). It is also about stopping and meditating (praying if you will) on this 22km pilgrimage to nowhere...
WE WERE HERE! But you “were” not here since, when you look at this mailstone, you ARE here. You will no longer be here only once you leave this spot. “You were here” only if you come back to the same spot (i.e. you are walking around in circles). Perhaps the “we” is another group of people? Who were they? This graffiti is a joke about movement, time and space, about us and the anonymous others. It is also a reference to the “You are here” indication on town maps which I always find amusing because it just confirms that you are indeed lost!
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