We might not immediately recognise water when approaching the dark matter shown in Black Hole, but it is nevertheless its endless flow that is the subject of the video. In inviting us to take a new look at this fundamental element, the work plays with our perception through the choice of colours, shapes, and framing. The artist creates a moment in which to heighten our awareness through a new framing of the banality of the chosen subject. By moving beyond its usages, he is able to concentrate on the physical properties of water. Éric Baudart employs this practice to show us other facets of matter in his resin sculptures (the Cryst series) which emulate frozen water. In contrast to this “black hole”, the incessant rhythm of the water’s movement is interrupted in complete transparency to better reveal another dimension of the material’s behaviour.

Text written by Camille Philippon as part of the partnership between the École du Louvre and Lafayette Anticipations – Fonds de dotation Famille Moulin.

Exhibitions