Hand-sculpted in clay, which is then cast in resin, the Heads are titled with lines from Samuel Beckett’s, Waiting for Godot, 1948. Abstract in form, with varying apertures (or eyes), each is purposefully imperfect, similar in appearance to ancient Chinese Scholars’ Rocks. Surrounding the Place de la Fontaine aux Lions, Ryman will install seven sulfur-yellow sculpted “heads” ranging in height from 305 to 396 cm. Park visitors have the freedom to explore and choose their own journey through the maze. A monument suitable for our era, Pac-Lab reflects the constant choices and many paths we face daily - whether in a physical space or a virtual reality. While visually playful, Pac-Lab serves as a meditation on our contemporary consumer culture. This negotiation between the fundamental aspects of artistic creation and the influence of history on the artist’s work is a recurring theme for Ryman. Ryman hand-sculpted the walls of the maze in clay, creating the effect of a primitive monument each wall is painted a bold primary color (colors that recall our childhood associations of art-making, as well as the paintings of Piet Mondrian). In the Parc de la Villette’s Prairie du Cercle Nord which surrounds the iconic Geode of the Cite des Sciences et de L’industrie, Will Ryman (American, b.1969) will install Pac-Lab, a series of walls and pathways designed to mimic a videogame maze in large-scale, which visitors can enter and navigate.
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