An artistic treasure hunt
Imagined as a Greek tragedy and imbued with the legends and superstitions of the sea, Pierre Chanteau's "Taol-lagad, Serr-lagad" (Coup d'œil, Clin d'œil) invites us to take another look at the world.
His artistic approach
When asked how long it takes him to create one of his famous mosaic eyes, Pierre Chanteau replies with a smile, "62 years", before adding, a little more pragmatically, "about a day, depending on the materials available, including the 2 or 3 hours of assembly".
The artist was inspired by the eyes traced on the bow of ancient ships to protect sailors from bad luck. He drew on a rich imagination, linked to the sea and the men who were shaped by it. In turn, he tried to pass on to his contemporaries and future generations this invitation to change one's outlook, to travel, but also to meet and share...
A treasure hunt
In this respect, the treasure hunt he has set up along the Finistère coastline is a wonderful way of forging links by searching, alone or with others, for that precious piece of information that will lead you to the next. In short, it's a geographical and human journey that the artist first embarked upon when installing his work, and which is now perpetuated by those who follow him.
This totally open-ended approach makes sense on the Côte des Légendes, where 6 mosaic eyes have been opened along the coastline.
Although the initial project came to an end on December 21, 2019, it continues today with the support of private individuals and associations wishing to raise public awareness of their work. Corsica's SNSM, for example, has asked the artist to use his eyes to highlight their daily work as lifeguards at sea. If Pierre Chanteau wishes to move on, he does not rule out the possibility of other artists answering this call and helping us discover other Finistères...
Finding them on the Côte des Légendes
From the single vertical eye on a gravestone to the tallest one watching over the coastline, go in search of Pierre Chanteau's eyes in the towns of Guissény, Kerlouan, Plounéour-Brignogan-Plages, Plouider and Goulven! Who knows, maybe you'll discover others... Each eye has its own story, and it's up to you to forge your own in this artistic and poetic adventure.
Keep your eyes peeled!
