Bascule ! is a sculpture inspired by a new road safety technology: putting small glass crystals into specific asphalt roads where we must be particularly careful. The crystals sparkle through the daylight, headlights or street lights allowing a rapid stimulation of the brain, prompting us to behave carefully on those stretches of road. The first time I saw this kind of road, in the middle of the street by night, the hypnotizing light of those little glass pieces attracted me instantly. An attitude contrary to the expected effect.
Then I imagined a flat rocker on the ground encrusted with these very crystals. Plunged into darkness, only a few light beams remain. The viewer is encouraged to step onto the rocker, making the crystals sparkle by balancing on it. It gives a feeling of slight instability accentuated by the brightness and movement of the object. The imperative title is a kind of starting signal, encouraging one to activate the work. Between hypnosis and overbalance, our eyes are focused on these few bright spots, perhaps forgetting the space around, immersing ourselves in another world, until the fall. This fall, voluntary or not, marks the return to reality.
