An interactive exhibition underneath the streets of Paris's La Défense business district reveals another hidden world – that of the darkest depths of the ocean. Bringing together art and science, it shows the beauty and vulnerability of Earth's final frontier.
Beneath the Grande Arche de la Défense, in Paris’s business district, visitors equipped with headphones and pocket torches are plunged into darkness.
The "Under the Horizon" exhibition sees four artists take over this hidden urban space to bring to life another hidden world – that of the depths of the ocean.
Covering 70 percent of the Earth's surface, oceans provide more than half our oxygen and absorb excess heat caused by climate change. Home to a hive of microscopic activity, their darkest depths, reaching 2,000 metres beneath the surface, remain largely unexplored.
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Creatures of the deep
As visitors enter the exhibition, a high-pitched crackling noise can be heard. These are translations of "conversations" of phytoplankton, captured by sound designer Antoine Bertin.
These tiny micro-organisms constantly send and receive chemical "messages" called metabolites, measured by biologists.
Meanwhile in the "midnight zone", artist Ugo Schiavi explores what forms human pollution might take if left to accumulate in the depths of the ocean.
His hybrid, mutant sculptures made of recycled items lurch out from the gloom, inspired by the strange creatures that inhabit this realm.
Beyond a creative interpretation, Schiavi raises the issue of the vulnerability of this part of the ocean – which contains coveted minerals including nickel, cobalt and copper, which are crucial to renewable energy technology.
Researchers and environmentalists have long warned that deep-sea diving risks destroying habitats and species that are little understood, and could upset delicate processes in the ocean that affect climate change.
Nearby, Jérémie Brugidou’s sculptures use bioluminescence produced by Phosphorus ANT-2200, a deep-sea bacteria. This form of light is used by organisms to attract prey, send signals and provide camouflage.
It also provides important information for scientific research. Molecules and proteins from bioluminescent and fluorescent species have enabled advances in imaging, molecular biology and physiology.
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Ritual and reassurance
After visiting the darkest parts of the ocean, visitors are led into a reproduction of a sea cave, where they can make an offering to the sea goddess Yemaya, a major deity in the West African Yoruba religion.
Here, artist Shivay La Multiple has created a bubble – "somewhere in between one universe and another" – where science meets spirituality.
She says the ocean is linked to rituals in many places, as well as having sustained livelihoods in cultures across the world since the beginning of time.
"Where I grew up has definitely had an influence on my work. I was lulled by the ocean and inspired by what was around me," she told RFI, pointing to her childhood in Kanaky-New Caledonia, one of France’s overseas territories.
"These practices make us feel reassured, they help up explain the unexplainable," she says of the shrine to Yemaya, adorned with shells and flowers.
'Life outside the office'
The exhibition is part of a wider cultural plan to bring art and environmental issues to this urban area, Noellie Faustino, director of events for La Défense, told RFI.
It’s important to show that there’s "life outside of the office", she says, adding that this can be found in unexpected places – such as the hidden space beneath the la Grande Arche.
"By offering access to normally inaccessible spaces, it sparks curiosity and allows for the creation of unique exhibitions."
Faustino added that La Défense has put in place measures to significantly reduce carbon emissions by 2030, including standards for construction and the way public spaces are developed.
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"We are currently creating a park at the Esplanade, right in the heart of the business district. It will be the first park in France built on a concrete slab, allowing users to enjoy tree-lined public spaces with grass."
As well as transforming the public space visually, Faustino says the park will reduce heat-related issues.
For Lauranne Germond, co-curator of "Under the Horizon" La Défense is the perfect setting to show the contrast between two very different worlds.
"On the surface of La Défense, activity and efficiency reign. There's a frenetic pace of productivity [while the exhibition is] an experience of slowing down, of letting go. It is the idea of letting oneself be carried away, of letting oneself float."
"Sous l'Horizon" ("Under the Horizon") is on until 26 April.
