ENCERCLER makes a lonely tree the star attraction in riorges, france

ENCERCLER is part of the land art fair ‘a ciel ouvert 2016’ which takes place annually in riorges, france. the goal of the project was to design a structure that would incorporate and draw attention to a large, somewhat isolated tree that had stood unnoticed on the site for many years.

festival attendees are denied access to the tree entirely
(above) image by antoine thévenet
(main) image by gwendal le bihan

rather than create a sculpture designed to actively pull people towards the tree, gwendal le bihan and mikaël pors — the two architects behind the project — instead surrounded their subject with a wall of corrugated iron. at 18 meters wide and 3 meters tall the wall cuts off access to the leafy giant entirely, preventing attendees of the ‘a ciel ouvert’ from coming close or even catching a peek of what might lie beyond. ENCERCLER is a clever bit of reverse psychology on the part of le bihan and pors, and is successful at drawing crowds out to the isolated spot — if only to leave them frustrated by the sculpture’s inherent denial.

the wall is a silent, alien presence
image by gwendal le bihan

the contrast between the organic materials of the tree and the blank, sterile face of the wall that surrounds it is stark. the living, uncontrolled growth of the canopy above is unapologetically interrupted by the harsh, straight lines of the metal below. ENCERCLER is a simple and cost-effective commentary on the effects of urban sprawl, and demands we pay heed to the very real possibility of being cut off completely from the natural world. by denying us access to just one tree, the sculpture presents us with a brief vision of a possible future, where there is no prospect of the wall’s removal once the festival has come to an end. 

the modest structure inevitably draws people closer, eager to investigate what hides behind it
image by gwendal le bihan 

the wall stands at 3 meters tall
image by gwendal le bihan

after the harvest, ENCERCLER is an even more present addition to the field
image by laure sessin

gwendal le bihan, 28, is an architect and artist based in paris & mikaël pors, 27, is an architect based in rotterdam
image by antoine thévenet

the perfect metallic circle is a strange, foreign body in the provincial french landscape
image by gwendal le bihan

ENCERCLER is constructed of multiple sheets of corrugated iron
image by gwendal le bihan

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: peter corboy | designboom