Avalanche II is a work made up of approximately 60,000 dice that appear to be placed on the floor in a random order, but in fact follow a very precise arrangement to reconstitute the image of an avalanche: the six sides of the dice correspond to the six shades of grey of the avalanche photograph chosen by the artist (side “1” being almost white, and side “6” almost black). They are placed next to each other without being glued (to each other or to the floor), which gives the ensemble a feeling of fragility, since it risks coming apart with the slightest clumsy kick. By fixing the force of the avalanche that carries everything away, the artist suspends time. The surge of powder is rendered by a multitude of dice, like so many flakes that make up the mass of snow tumbling down the mountain. Sensitive to the notion of chance, to its triggering and its consequences, the artist proposes here a work with multiple readings. Games have roots in all cultures and all eras. By using the dice—the ultimate accessory of the game—as a basic material, Évariste Richer perfectly united the object and the subject. An avalanche is a contingent phenomenon and its triggering is subject to multiple factors that seem as random as a throw of the dice.

Exhibitions