« How it’s possible to create a cultural,social and professional project in a natural environement, without ruining it ? »

A patch of scrub land outside an expanding village. Through the branches, a wilderness shows glimpses of itself : ruptured veins of limestone, sculpted by water ages ago, convoluted black trunks of oak, the sun pounding from open skies. This is where we chose to establish our project: A place of confrontation and alliance between man and matter.

In modern life, especially in western society, we are often cut off from the elements that surround us. We have become almost ignorant of what we are made of for sake of being “clean” and civilized.
Blacksmiths by trade, we have had the opportunity to explore the diversity of forms that iron can take and to bring it to its limits. We are discovering every day and the dialogue enriches us. In the workshop we wrestle with the laws of physics. With time and experience we learn to see them as our allies and to play with them, harnessing them to our own personal expression. Matter no longer limits our work but becomes vehicle of exploration, an extension of ourselves.

In reality, we have learnt that "savoir faire" is essential in order to persevere in this adventure without losing our heart.

Our project "Decouverte et creation" ( discovery and creation) opens up an area of seven and a half acres for a multi-disciplinary experience. The goal is to find a balance between different types of interactions with the landscape: through bio- climatic structures and a sculpture park, as well as with a view to drop the barriers between technique, craftsmanship, art and ecology.

We aim to do so by joining the know-how of artisans and artists and setting workshops open to the public.

The creative dimension is enhanced by the work of artists in residence of all ages and nationalities, invited to work "in situ" around the park.