Here's an unusual sculpture to see in the heart of Paris... Just off the Pont de l'Alma, at the Port de la Conférence to be precise, at the Bateaux-Mouches pier, stands an unexpected work of art, looking up at the Eiffel Tower. Specifically, a sculpture of a silver tyrannosaurus skeleton. But what exactly is this sculpture?
It's called Tyrannosaurus Rex, and is the work of artist Philippe Pasqua. A skeleton made up of 350 aluminum and chrome bones, meticulously cast from a real prehistoric skeleton on display in China. Measuring 7 metres long and 4.5 metres high, the work is an imposing presence, inviting us to reflect on the fragility and ephemeral nature of existence, in the shadow of tourist barges and floating dwellings.
Behind this artistic prowess lies a poignant message, a modern-day memento mori: Pasqua's Tyrannosaurus Rex, an extinct species, symbolizes the intrinsic fragility of life,"reminding us that humanity too could become extinct after destroying its biosphere", as the artist explains.
Philippe Pasqua 's work is part of an artistic approach in which the skeleton, the skull and, more broadly, the vanitas - his favorite theme since 1987 - occupy a central place. The Tyrannosaurus Rex, with its majestic yet melancholy allure, is a new expression of this fascination with the ephemeral beauty of existence and its reference to our own mortality.
An invitation to reflect on our place in the universe and the mark we leave behind us. To be discovered on the quayside, at the Port de la Conférence in the 8th arrondissement.
