The Ritournelle
The Ritournelle was designed and built as part of the city of Angers' participatory budget: "Ouvre le bal." Offering a reinterpretation of the traditional bandstand, it is an artistic space that invites the free practice of dance and music in public spaces. Its rhythmic, circular, and unifying geometry offers a 360° view of its surroundings. The central dance floor is enveloped in a reflective setting open to the sky, offering a physical and sensory experience that is as spectacular as it is playful.
The Ritournelle is self-supporting, removable, and movable. It leaves no footprint on the site and consists of twelve wooden gantries supporting a roof ring. This protects the surrounding seating by providing shade and coolness. The Swedish paint, an ecological and economical solution that covers the frame, ensures the bandstand's presence and visibility in the clearing. The expanded cork covering, on the other hand, integrates the installation into the park's landscaped environment and will support the organic development of biodiversity throughout the seasons.
While the mirror remains a staple in dance studios, urban dancers encounter it in public spaces through the reflection of the glass fronts of buildings. Unable to ignore the question of reflection in the creation of a dance space, it becomes the subject of the artistic intervention, inviting visitors to wander, traverse, play, and experiment, while providing a unique interpretation of the surrounding public space. The twelve inclined and continuous mirrored facets thus make this space a privileged theater of performance, both for an orchestra in rehearsal and for dancers seeking a conducive and welcoming setting. Beyond artistic practices, the Ritournelle offers an immersive, contemplative, and intergenerational space.
