A brushed oak sculpture paired with a tar and charcoal painting.
Painting, Sculpture The installation Silence at the Heart, created especially for Nuit blanche at Galerie Saint-Séverin, pairs a sculpture, stretched out or lying down, Déposition au cœur — a first in the artist’s career — with a tar painting heightened with charcoal, bringing in an element of nature. The title refers to Saint Séverin, the hermit of silence who settled on the banks of the Seine, whose legend says he is buried on the site of the church of the same name, in the heart of Paris. Throughout the summer, a monumental open-air exhibition Un Temps infini is being held at the Domaine national de Saint-Cloud and extends this Paris installation, since saint Cloud was a disciple of saint Séverin. The display window will consist of a sculpture, Déposition au cœur (2026), in brushed oak, laid flat, paired with a tar and charcoal painting (2023), showing two wooden statues against a background of trees. Based in Val de Vesle (Marne), Christian Lapie (born in 1955) devoted himself to painting before creating bas-reliefs In Case of War (1992, Frac Champagne-Ardenne) and War Game -cement, rebar, painting- censored in 1995. A decisive stay in the Amazon rainforest led him to make wood his material of choice. From imposing trunks, he creates raw, charred sculptures that are presences rather than mere representations. Christian Lapie is represented by Galerie RX&SLAG Paris-New York. With the support of Art, Culture et Foi / Paris.
Source: paris.fr — photo: © Christian Lapie, "Déposition au Cœur", 2026
