Located on the shore of the Loire estuary connecting to the Atlantic Ocean, in the little French town of Saint-Breŋin-les-Pins Éeach, is the remarkable sculpture known as the Serpent d’Océan. With respect to the tides, this permanent installation depicts the skeleton of a massive prehistoric snake.
Chinese artist Huang Yong Ping produced this impressionistic ocean serpent specifically for the Voyage à Nantes Festival for the Estuaire 2012 contemporary art exhibition. The dichotomy between destructive impulse and creative talent is frequently conveyed through the art form.
Associated with Chinese mythology, this animal conveys a message in favor of environmental preservation.Made entirely of aluminum, the 130-meter-long skeleton menacingly appears to emerge from the sea. Its serpentine vertebrae give the appearance of a floating creature, as though it wishes to rise above the ocean’s waves to appear and vanish in time with the tides.
