his ephemeral sculptures on the beach defy the laws of gravity

See my news
Follow Le Pays Malouin

We will not attempt here to summarize the rich academic career of this Franco-Syrian, both an Arabic professor, political scientist and Islamologist.

Because what makes Bassam Tahhan stand out today in Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine) is quite different.

For around ten years, he has been practicing an unusual art on the beaches of Falkland: the “cairn”… or the art of stacking stones! It holds stones of all sizes, one on top of the other, without any artifice.

“There is an axis of gravity in every stack”

Since his first “cairn” made at Solidor, he has acquired a certain skill “in defying the laws of gravity”. However, it is not the height that counts, according to him, but “the effect that we produce once the work is completed”. He therefore uses elements already sculpted by nature… to create ephemeral sculptures.

A stone can become a head in a statue, a foot in another […] The result is more suggestive than figurative or realistic.

He’s bluffing, in any case: sometimes, stones seem to hang by a thread! His mastery allows him to alternate horizontal, vertical, oblique… “There is an axis of gravity in every stack,” explains this Land art enthusiast, who would like to teach “cairnology”.

A practice criticized

This is probably not for tomorrow because this practice, popularized via Instagram, does not only have fans. When cairns multiply in fragile natural spaces, they are harmful to the environment or encourage erosion.

Bassam Tahham believes, on the contrary, that he “ gives back to nature what it gives » : “I use stones already tossed around by the tides. I don’t take the stones with me. And I take down my cairns, lest they fall on someone. »

Sculptures “eternalized” by photography or drawing

Sometimes, Bassam Tahhan uses driftwood, waste found on the foreshore (like this fishing trap that he placed on an old Sillon breakwater) or algae, whose changing colors fascinate him.

In any case, Bassam Tahhan’s sculptures are, in essence, doomed to disappear. But they are “eternalized” thanks to photography, or even drawing.

And the rising tide offers changing perspectives, backgrounds and reflections, so endless possibilities. “At each water level, the statue takes on another meaning. What’s beautiful is also filming your fall. » The artist also lets the public immortalize his creations.

Its playgrounds

Saint-Malo is not its only playground, which goes “from the island of Yeu to the pierced stone in Lorraine, to Arcachon, in the Canary Islands, but also to the banks of the Seine in Paris or La Celle-Saint-Cloud.

“I am the author of around a hundred sculptures,” assesses the artist. Among the lot, there are perhaps twenty that really stand out and are worth studying. »

He exhibited photos of some of his works, “which were quite successful”. “I publish on around a hundred art sites, but I am not very well known in France,” he puts things into perspective.

In fact, he has not sold any photos of his works, despite offers worth several thousand dollars. “It’s not my area and it’s not easy. I’m looking for an agent who can take care of it. »

In the meantime, we can enjoy the poetry of his works for free, the images of which he publishes on social networks. Like the one titled Tendernesswhich depicts two bodies entwined “where each head can be that of the two bodies”.

Bassan Tahhan publishes images on his Instagram account: www.instagram.com/bassam.tahhan.1/

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.