Straight from Stampy the mechanical elephant: “In the industrial warehouses of the former shipyards emblematic of the industrial and port heritage of the city, several extraordinary Machines are being built. Imagined by François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice, this totally unprecedented artistic project called “Les Machines de l’Ile” will eventually include some ten monumental mechanical structures open to the public.
These Machines will be permanent components of the urban landscape of the Ile de Nantes, in the heart of the city. Nantes Métropole decided to create a large-scale tourist and cultural project, as part of the urban redevelopment of the Ile de Nantes. The first Machines de l’Ile came to life at the beginning of summer. Since 1 July 2007, the public has been able to ride on the Great Elephant, visit the Machine Gallery, and walk along the prototype branch of the future Heron Tree. Visitors can also watch the creators at work in the Workshop from a gangway.
From sketches that call to mind the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, to the machines in operation, the entire creative process is presented in a magical site, which resembles both a laboratory and a performance”. On the next episode we’ll report the potential problems associated with engineering these creatures on an isolated island-turned-amusement park.
