Description of the work

Nearly 30,000 years old, the paintings of the Caves of Saulges speak of our humanity.

But how were they achieved? And what could be their function? At the frontiers of research between arts, science and technology, Paleograph' invites its audience to discover Paleolithic art.

In late 2020, the installation emerges and invites the viewer to discover parietal art through a variety of scenes projected on a large interactive screen. To begin, the visitors are invited to "discover" the cave, by navigating through it in a virtual tour. Continuing the experiment, the device enables them to "invent" or recreate the paintings found in the archaeological surveys. The animal traces appear by a gesture of painting or erasure on the screen-wall. Extending this into a modern light-painting form, the visitor manipulates fluid digital paint. Setting in motion a series of traces from archaeological surveys and by leaving their hand prints, the audience gets to relive or share a hint of the experience of their ancestors.

The digital device exposes the audience to social collaboration in a playful manner and presents a novel adventure to discover some of the approaches and techniques of parietal art, translated to our times. The shared moment in the digital cave provides an impression, inspiration and invitation to imagine and partake in the painting rituals from our deep cultural past.

Paléograph’ 2020

Œuvre de commande pour le Musée de Préhistoire – Grottes de Saulges
Equipement patrimonial de la Communauté de Commune des Coëvrons avec le soutien de la région des Pays de la Loire