Machines of the Isle of Nantes
Encyclopedia
The Machines of the Isle of Nantes (Les Machines de l'île) is an artistic, touristic and cultural project based in Nantes
, France
.
aims to promote city's image and tries to build an identity as a creative metropole of dream and of fantasy.
, the Machines of the Isle is created by two artists, François Delarozière
(La Machine
) and Pierre Orefice (Manaus association), visualising a travel-through-time world at the crossroads of the "imaginary worlds" of Jules Verne
and the mechanical universe of Leonardo da Vinci
.
Three major Machines projects include :
from Royal de Luxe
, which toured the world from 2005 to 2007 (the main difference being that this elephant was designed to carry spectators).
The entire process of the construction is on display by sketches, models and films. In July 2008, three new machines are scheduled to be added into the gallery.
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Background
The project of Machines de l'île in NantesNantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
aims to promote city's image and tries to build an identity as a creative metropole of dream and of fantasy.
The Concept
In the warehouses of the former shipyards in NantesNantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
, the Machines of the Isle is created by two artists, François Delarozière
François Delarozière
François Delarozière is the Artistic Director of La Machine, a French company which is a collaboration between artists, designers, fabricators and technicians and which specialises in producing giant performing machines, often creatures...
(La Machine
La Machine (production company)
La Machine is a French production company based in Nantes, France, which is famous for La Princesse, a 50-foot mechanical spider constructed in Nantes, France.-Background:...
) and Pierre Orefice (Manaus association), visualising a travel-through-time world at the crossroads of the "imaginary worlds" of Jules Verne
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
and the mechanical universe of Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
.
The Site
Since 1 July, 2007, the site is open to the public.Three major Machines projects include :
- the Great Elephant (2007)
- the Marine Worlds Carrousel (2012)
- the Heron Tree (2014)
The Great Elephant
The mechanical elephant is 12 meters high and 8 meters wide, made from 45 tons of wood and steel. It can take up to 49 passengers for a 45-minute walk. It is a non-exact replica of The Sultan's ElephantThe Sultan's Elephant
The Sultan's Elephant was a show created by the Royal de Luxe theatre company, involving a huge moving mechanical elephant, a giant marionette of a girl and other associated public art installations. In French it was called La visite du sultan des Indes sur son éléphant à voyager dans le temps...
from Royal de Luxe
Royal de luxe
Royal de Luxe is a French mechanical marionette street theatre company. They were founded in 1979 by Jean Luc Courcoult. Based in Nantes, the company has performed in France, Belgium, England, Germany, Iceland, Chile, Australia and Mexico.- Gigantic puppets :...
, which toured the world from 2005 to 2007 (the main difference being that this elephant was designed to carry spectators).
The Marine Worlds Carrousel
The Marine Worlds will be a huge carrousel, rising nearly 25m high and measuring 20m in diameter. It will feature 35 moving underwater creatures on three levels: the ocean floor, the depths, and sea and boats. Visitors will be able to move about amidst a ballet of aquatic animals and sea carriages, as well as climb aboard and guide the movements of the Machines.The Heron Tree
The Heron Tree is a steel structure of 45 meters in diameter and 28 meters in height, topped with two herons. The project plans to allow visitors to climb either onto the back or onto the wings of the birds for a circular flight over the hanging gardens of the tree.- Photo Gallery: (Click to enlarge photos)
The Machine Gallery
This is an exhibition place to illustrate the background story of the machines. Some visitors could be invited to control marine animals or the European Flight Test Centre, etc.The entire process of the construction is on display by sketches, models and films. In July 2008, three new machines are scheduled to be added into the gallery.
The Workshop
This is the site of fabrication for people to observe the ongoing building process. Today, the construction of the Marine Worlds occupies one part of the workshop.External links
- The Machines of the Isle of Nantes - Official website
- Nantes Metropole Tourism Office
- The Machines de l'Ile YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel - Photographs of the machines and workshop