An unusual exhibition has been set up in the old disused ice rink in Saint-Ouen. Located right in the center of town, between the metro station and the town hall, the Saint-Ouen ice rink had been in disuse for some time. The only way to bring the place back to life was to hold temporary art exhibitions.
Around 2020, one of the few ice rinks in the Paris region closed its doors.The reason was simple.The refrigeration system wasn’t working very well and one day it just stopped. Thousands of litres of water ended up in the supermarket’s water tank. A reserve located just below. Once these difficulties had been overcome, the Town Hall decided to change the use of the building. The ice rink is to become a place for artistic expression. And to bring it to life, Saint-Ouen Town Hall has chosen, perhaps unwittingly, a master origami artist. An artist who had already completed a project but had never really put it into practice and exhibited it. This is the story of Léa’s Ocean.
2,000 square meters for an extraordinary exhibition
It all began with a crazy idea and a vision. Junior Fritz Jacquet, an origami artist, had for years wanted to create a sort of giant aquarium. For some time, this paper folding artist had been making small seabed installations in Saragossa and Chatenay-Malabry. Each time the result was the same, visitors said they were pleasantly surprised or amazed. However, this was not really what Mr Jacquet wanted to do. He wanted to convey a stronger feeling and offer an immersive experience. A way of awakening visitors’ emotions, of going beyond the preconceptions that the general public may have about origami. You won’t see any paper casseroles or aeroplanes here. Junior Fritz Jacquet’s origami is absolutely unique.
A look back at a three-month installation marathon for an ocean of origami
It’s impossible to imagine all the effort and energy that went into achieving this. The result is splendid, but the work that went into it is absolutely incredible. Junior Fritz Jacquet is not alone. Around this extraordinary artist is a team of generous and caring people. A team that is involved in the technical aspects of the installation. Fabienne, Stéphanie Céline, Angili, Véra, Nadine. Not forgetting the friend of all time: Eric, or the faithful companion of the early days: Alexis and then the others Clément, Raphaël, Anurag. So many names that vibrate around the same energy that this project exudes.
Working, folding and hanging relentlessly. All with the sole aim of creating an artistic UFO, a kind of ocean of Origami. All against a delicate backdrop of indifference and incredulity, always tinged with incomprehension. A necessary incomprehension on which this project is built. But to offer this vision of the ocean’s seabed, the works had to be produced on site. Three months of delivery, handling and creation. Producing and producing, over and over again. Folding, cutting, assembling and creasing.
An ocean of origamis to raise environmental awareness
Léa’s Ocean is the name chosen by the artist for this monumental exhibition, which could be compared to an ocean of Origami, given the sheer number of works on display.
But who is Léa? You won’t see Léa. It’s simply the name of the artist’s daughter. A year earlier, she exhibited her work in the Garden of Eden (editor’s note: her son’s first name). This exhibition (the Garden of Eden) was installed in November and December 2023 in Compiègne in the desecrated church of Saint-Pierre des Minimes.