golden dried plant installation meanders within former french chapel

Magdala, a golden monumental installation

Magdala takes shape as a monumental dried plant installation suspended within a former french chapel. The 12th-century building dedicated to Saint Marie-Madeleine, now hosts the contemporary 3CHA art center, while it still reveals a part of medieval history.  

As part of an artistic commission from the 3CHA art center, the Studio Patrick Nadeau, in collaboration with Marie-Marie Dutour, was invited to design a massive piece that creates a connection with the space, its architecture, and its atmosphere. In response to these aspirations, the studio opted to work with dried plants to highlight the heritage and fragile yet timeless character of the building. Thus, the resulting installation levitates above the flooring and glides into its ethereal form, creating a cloud of golden aura.

all images by Hervé Ternissien

exuding an ethereal aura made of golden plants

In association with the French designer, the Paris-based studio decided to work with a lightweight material exuding the ethereal atmosphere of the building. As a result, ‘Magdala’ was made of 55,000 stems of French wild oats, including Eragrostis, and Panicums, floating midair in the Romanesque chapel. Their shaping mimics a whiff of wind flowing through the canopy. To further enliven the place, a series of dynamic warm lights make the golden plants glow like a field of high grass in the late summer sun.

top view with warm swaying light

detail of the installation

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project illustration by Marie-Marie

project info:

name: Magdala
designer: Patrick Nadeau Studio in collaboration with Marie-Marie Dutour

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edited by: christina petridou | designboom