Ceysson & Bénétière

When it came time for artist Lionel Sabatté (b. Toulouse, 1975) to immerse himself in the world of Saint-Louis crystalware, at the invitation of the Vent des Forêts art centre, the incessant activity of the site’s craftspeople brought the metaphor of the bee and the beehive to mind. Starting from this initial impression, he created a new artistic itinerary for La Grande Place. The works that make up this ensemble draw on nature, in particular plants and bees, as well as minerals, which are essential to the art of crystalware. With this exhibition, simply entitled “La Ruche”, Lionel Sabatté extends his investigation into the living world and material transformations. Combining elements – almost residues – found in nature, he fashions a hybrid bestiary that is at once unsettling and poetic. Within La Grande Place, alongside the finest and most delicate pieces of crystalware, he deepens his reflection on the place of humans in an ever more fragile world.