Have you ever glimpsed the silhouette of a bronze giant watching over a centuries-old coppice? Nestled in Épiais-Rhus, at the heart of the preserved valleys of the Vexin Français Regional Natural Park, Épiais-Rhus, the Bois des Arts is an open-air gallery created by French sculptor Arnaud Kasper. This sculpture park in Val-d'Oise turns the forest into a genuine artistic sanctuary, inviting walkers to a contemplative escape where matter engages in intimate dialogue with the vegetal.
Born in 1962, Arnaud Kasper has established himself on the contemporary figurative and monumental sculpture scene with work that centers on the expressive power of the body, the animal realm, and myth. His style blends a rigorous handling of noble materials—patinated bronze, marble-dusted resin, and metal—with a dreamlike, sometimes surreal aesthetic. In his pieces, forms never stand still: rough textures, taut musculature, and fantastical hybrids channel the energy of Mannerism as much as the organic poetry of Salvador Dalí or Jean Cocteau.
Based in the Vexin, the artist has fashioned this pocket of woodland into a living frame: here, patinas green with the touch of moss, sunbeams carve the volumes anew, and each piece takes root in the earth to awaken visitors’ ecological awareness. Access is free during key occasions like Heritage Days; otherwise the artist occasionally leads guided tours (about €7).
As visitors wander beneath the canopy, they encounter several key facets of Kasper's universe:
The Man-Fish: the artist’s true signature, this monumental hybrid creature evokes the origins of life, the umbilical bond between humanity and the aquatic world, and the urgency of protecting our marine ecosystems.
The Man-Bird: a chimera stretched toward the sky, symbolizing self-transcendence, spiritual elevation, and liberation from earthly constraints.
The Avenue of the 6 Totems: a rhythm of six sculptures standing like primitive sentinels, paying homage to ancient cultures to raise awareness of the perils of environmental derailment.
The Monumental Victor Hugo: an impressive work depicting the writer in contemplation. According to a local anecdote shared on site, his gaze toward the east would watch the spires of Notre-Dame de Paris, a vibrant tribute to his literary masterwork.
The Hand-Face: a troubling composition where anatomy morphs, inviting the viewer to question identity, the social mask, and self-perception.
The estate’s rugged terrain and its hidden waterways are no accident. According to certain oral traditions in the Vexin, the clearings of Épiais-Rhus would have hosted ancient Druid gatherings in Gaulish times to celebrate the solstices. The bronze sculptures by Arnaud Kasper are even said to have been placed along telluric energy lines intended to calm visitors’ spirits, giving this forest walk an almost initiatory atmosphere.
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