The artist Saype "at the top" of his art for the 20th anniversary of Paradiski
NOV 15 2023To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Paradiski ski area, which links the ski resorts of Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry and La Plagne in Savoie, has commissioned French painter/land artist Saype to create two monumental frescoes on snow in the middle of the mountains, a challenge that is as much artistic as it is technical.
A creative challenge
At the beginning of December, Saype created his art on the snowy slopes of Paradiski with the creation of two gigantic ephemeral frescoes with an original concept: located in two places and which will respond to each other. The work, called “Encordés”, is made up of two creations measuring 1,000 m2 each.
It was a creative challenge he accepted, because he saw himself in the project. With a mountain that he feels is both beautiful and hostile, the proposed playground offers an inspiring duality. "It's an opportunity to take on a creative and poetic challenge, in an immense, pure and immaculate natural setting. Snow is a complicated and challenging medium to work with. And above all, part of my work consists of connecting people, so the project proposed by Paradiski for its anniversary totally echoes my work."
In this work, two children join forces to climb a mountain and lead the way. Roped together, these two protagonists must collaborate. Each cannot move forward without the other; complementary, they come together to challenge the impossible. The snow-capped mountains, with their majestic and magical landscapes, contrast with the environment in which these young adventurers find themselves. Like these children, Paradiski has united to connect two valleys and resorts, once distant, but today so close...
Saype details the creation of his work: “What inspired me in this project proposed by Paradiski is the connection between these resorts thanks to this incredible cable car and the decision of the people here to live, collaborate and work together within the same field for 20 years. The mountain is a universe that inspires me with both a beautiful postcard but also an environment at altitude which can be hostile, especially for carrying out my ephemeral creative work. For logistics and production, we faced many challenges (weather, wind, cold, etc.). Childhood is a recurring theme in my work to approach subjects in a poetic and profound way. By drawing this group of two children, I wanted to show that we must work together to move forward and overcome the challenges we face. Part of my job is to connect people, the project proposed by Paradiski for its 20th birthday, totally echoes my artistic work. »
From December 20, skiers will discover the making of photos of the two works at the Vanoise Express cable car stations, located in Montchavin-Les Coches and Peisey-Vallandry.
Who is French land artiste Saype ?
known globally for his ephemeral frescoes on grass using 100% eco-friendly paint and his work Beyond Walls, the French artist Saype revolutionized the field of land art. Committed and convinced, he wishes to raise awareness about the state of the planet, through his ephemeral monumental works that he creates on grass, earth, sand and snow around the world, with messages and achievements that challenge.
Its frescoes, which are intended to fade, are made with eco-responsible paint composed mainly of chalk and charcoal. After nature made them disappear, Saype's works found their place in museums, galleries, and cultural institutions around the world.
This October 30, 2023, Saype was scouting the slopes of Paradiski, the opportunity to ask him a few questions about this new snowy artistic challenge, his motivations and his messages which you can discover in the video here.
For our part, Saype was a natural choice of artist, because his frescoes are meaningful and tell beautiful stories that have the power to bring people together. His approach, using eco-friendly paint (based on chalk and charcoal) and his conception of art, which aims to have an impact on mentalities and society without impacting on nature, appealed to us. It's an approach that has added resonance in our mountain environment, where climate change is having a very real impact.
Paradiski, a daring ski area that's a great place to meet new people
In 2003, Paradiski came to life in the Alps, bringing together the resorts of Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry and La Plagne to become the third largest ski area in the world. Spread over several massifs in the Vanoise region, it offers 425 kilometres of runs, 70% of which are at altitudes of over 2,000 metres. With the inauguration of the Vanoise Express, an extraordinary double-decker cable car that bridges a valley, Paradiski created an unexpected meeting of two mountains. This audacity will continue to guide the energy of Paradiski's players, who will come up with surprising and memorable initiatives using the cable car cabins.
In 2023, 20 years on, Paradiski will continue to dare, making the mountains a place where people can meet.
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