Céleste Boursier-Mougenot

'clinamen v.3', 2012–ongoing Exhibited in 'Soundtracks' exhibition at SFMOMA in 2017. Floating porcelain bowls clink together as they circulate gently on water, producing a percussive soundscape of unexpected musicality. The French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot has brought the architectural feature of the gazing pool indoors to create what he describes as “a kind of dream.” He explains, “The bowls are moved by an invisible force, and the presence of water is fascinating. It makes for a totally natural connection between the objects. . . . I am spontaneously drawn by this type of state, between incertitude and floating.”

In 'Videodrones' (2001) Boursier-Mougenot addresses nonconventional use of video. Work allows the audience to watch everyday details of a familiar environment. On five screens in the exhibition space, real time views of streets, boulevards and the sidewalks are projected. Actions (the movement of pedestrians and transport) create a cascade of sounds, describing events as music.

In 'From Here to Ear' (1999), the artist used a flock of zebra finches interacting with electric guitars and amplifiers to create an ephemeral acoustic composition, the form of which was defined by the behavior of the birds. Similar to Cage's practice, Boursier-Mougenot's method lies first of all in transliterations of natural structure, aural identification of certain realities which are not visible to our eyes.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot (born 1961 in Nice, France) is a modern French artist. He lives and works in Sète, France.