at 22, Gary orchestrates the Halloween attraction at Saint-Cloud park

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“At 22, I know it’s an incredible opportunity. » Gary Saint Paul walks his tall, pale-skinned adolescent body between the giant spiders plastic and spectra. In 48 hours, the “strange park” will come to life at the Saint-Cloud national domain (Hauts-de-Seine). A immersive stroll between the leafless trees of the green space, on the theme of Halloween, of which he imagined the smallest details. From scarecrows with goat skulls inspired by Mylène Farmer to Celtic witches.

From spectator to conductor

Dressed all in black, Gary Saint Paul inspects the scene, whilearound a hundred technicians are working to transform the Hauts-de-Seine park. “It’s a bit of a special place for me,” he confides, fixing his clear gaze on an alley.

Fireworks lover The artistic director has always traveled the country with his parents to attend certain famous events in the world of pyrotechnics. As a child, he notably experienced the great fire of Saint-Cloudconsidered by its organizers as the most important in Europe.

The young man stopped in front of a gate. He sees the ghosts of the past again and the crowds gather to enjoy the spectacle. “At this location, there will be three fireworks displays each evening and a fourth for October 31. Drones will also put on a show and great devil horns will be posted here,” he points.

Beyond reality

By lifting a thick cobweb, the creator reveals a sensor which will surprise visitors by throwing air in their faces. He has his sleeves full of tricks like this. A know-how that he has refined over the years by decorating the garden of the family home in Dijon. “Today, there is sometimes a queue,” he smiles.

Gary Saint-Paul’s inspiration was nourished by the Tim Burton universethe horror of Stephen King, and the aesthetics of the films The Nun or The Exorcist. “Like all children, when I was younger, I had inexplicable fears, but somehow I learned to love these monstersthose who are under the bed for example, he says. There is a part of me that is very spiritual, I like to believe that there is something after death and that there are aspects of life that are beyond us.”

Amused, he remembers a scene he experienced as a schoolboy. “With friends, we used a Ouija board and, at that very moment, the glass of a telescope broke. I’m not saying that I believe in the paranormal, but I prefer not to get too far ahead if it ever exists. »

Decors dictated by rhythm

In the middle of the pumpkins that the night and the spotlights will highlight, Gary Saint-Paul measures the distance traveled.

“After a master’s degree in event management in Lyon, I joined Festivals & Fireswhich is a reference in the field of pyrotechnics. There was this project to put on a first big show which was in the pipeline. And as I had this know-how with what I did with my parents in particular, it came back to me,” he rewinds.

The artistic director then sets down his bags in the north of the capital and begins his creative process. In the metro, he looks for inspiring sounds. “It’s from music that I imagine a scene, then I design a set,” he explains.

18 months later, visitors to the Parc de l’étoile will be able to wander through the world of Gary Saint Paul, until November 2, 2024. The latter is already looking ahead to what comes next. “I have ideas for future editions, with a more adult version and deeper themes. »

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