Raphaël Zarka: Sculpture Gnomonique

Raphaël Zarka  

A Time for Forms

Those who enter the porte cochère of 79 rue du Temple (home to Galerie Mitterrand) may notice a 17^th-century sundial on the upper facade of the hotel de Montmort. Should they choose to venture into the gallery’s exhibition space, they will discover several more such timepieces, without having to lift their gaze to do so. In Sculpture Gnomonique, Raphaël Zarka leads visitors into a unique observatory comprised of 17^th-century French and British sundials, although their sculptural and pictorial transformation has stripped them of any gnomonic function. As far back as 1641, this Parisian venue played host to scientific meetings that led to the creation of the Academy of Sciences. These gatherings were organised by Henri Louis Montmort, owner of the famous Galilean astronomical telescope. What better place to give a second life to these scientific instruments that link us to the cosmos? While the scientific past of this venue must have a certain appeal for Zarka, his interest in the history of science and astronomy is no recent phenomenon.

Marjolaine Lévy