Have you ever looked up at the sky and imagined drawing lines across its vastness? This is precisely what artist Aiko Miyawaki envisioned when she created the Utsurohi – Dessin au ciel sculpture in Paris. You can almost feel her intention as you stand in front of its subtle power. It’s an installation of 30 steel columns, each 30 cm in diameter and covered in crystallized glass. These polished columns are linked together with thin steel rods that create a sense of lightness and fragility even in the grand expanse of the La Défense area. The idea is to create a floating, ephemeral appearance, a dynamic state called “utsurohi” in Japanese. Miyawaki was known for her abstract sculptures, which sought to transcend the three dimensions of space. She created Utsurohi in 1988 and it was installed the following year. The delicate wires are almost invisible against the sky, a mere sketch that seems to dance with the breeze. The delicate lines are impossible to miss as a constant flow of light, and the surrounding buildings seem to shrink behind them. It’s a testament to the artist’s ability to capture the essence of impermanence and the beauty of fleeting moments.
Église Notre-Dame de l’Air
Beneath what appears to be a simple stone and wood structure lies a history interwoven with faith aviation and community.