Sedan en Panorama

During a residency in February and March, Patrick Dionne and Miki Gingras created a participatory work for the 2019 Urbi & Orbi biennial. First, they met with Sedan residents to find out what elements shape their identity and sense of belonging to the place. Then, in the six weeks before the festival, these “artist-geologists” gathered layers of visual information about Sedan. Inspired by archival images, stories, portraits and discussions with local residents, they created a huge mural, SEDAN EN PANORAMA, which was installed in Place de la Halle all summer. The panoramic form mirrors the Panorama de la Bataille de Sedan, a work in Sedan’s Musée du Château that portrays the battle of September 1, 1870 (150th anniversary in 2020), a defeat that led to the fall of the Second Empire and redefined the geostrategic contours of Europe. Through SEDAN EN PANORAMA, the two artists challenge this historical representation of Sedan, creating their own vision, derived from the present, and from residents’ experiences and memories.

Credit photos : Benoît Dhennin

 France 3