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SCB2 Transmission Lines Tutorial Session
Artworks into Networks:
Art Installations and
Sculptures
Name:
Elena PAROUCHEVA
Company:
Electric Art
2017 CIGRE SC C3 Meeting in Seoul joined with SC B2 - Electric Environment Technology Colloquium

CIGRE SC C3 Meeting in Seoul joined with SC B2 - Electric Environment Technology Colloquium
1) From industrial patrimony to cultural legacy
2) Artist’s concept
3) Building of an “Art-Pylon”
4) Custom-made pylons
5) Conclusion
Summary

Sustainability, Find the answer in art
How important is the "place" where culture and history exist in whole sustainability?
[Paul Shrivastava is Executive Director of Future Earth, Distinguished Professor at Concordia
University of Sustainable Enterprise (Montreal) and Director of the David O’Brien Centre for
Sustainable Enterprise, Dong-A Business Revue, 2013]
As illustrations: an artwork by Hundertwasser & Art-Pylons by Elena Paroucheva
Introduction

Opinion of residents and visitors of
the Amneville artworks
Before the artistic intervention, they
wanted to remove the pylons from the
heart of the thermal site
At the delivery of the artwork, they
were enchanted by the shining ladies
and many selfies were taken in front of
the pylons
”The pylons are our own Eiffel Tower”
Now, no one imagines the undressed
pylons
Introduction

The biggest pylon – A highly visited monument
Introduction
Gustave Eiffel:
I believe that the tower will have its own beauty. Because we are engineers, do
we believe that beauty does not concern us in our constructions and that at the
same time that we make solid and durable, we do not strive to make elegant?

More than 70 million have seen the pylons
dressed in shining gowns, allowing a hill to
become the platform where immobile giants
give their fashion show
Millions more have seen the illuminated skier, taking off from the
springboard during the 2014 winter Olympic Games
Introduction
Other highly visited monuments…

“Source” Amneville (2004)

Overhead line supports are often seen as visual pollution. Therefore, a
viable solution must be found to integrate them into the environment
I come as an artist, who has long been involved in environmental art, to
share with you my experience of transforming a heritage and industrial
know-how into recognized works of art and registered for posterity
I think - and I am not the only one - that art allows us to live in harmony
with ourselves and our planet. Today, large budgets are devoted to the
protection of the environment. A part of it should be used to improve the
situation of our pylons

The Art-pylons promote values that can sustain a new, positive, way
to manage the interaction between humans and the Earth system.

These new sculptures and wind towers are ladies, characters, animals,
birds, flowers, abstract forms, that will be installed alone or in groups in
a natural landscape or an urban or rural location.
Dancing pylons, drawing 2002

Environment-friendly because they are humanized, even feminized

Environment-friendly because they are humans walking, dancing

The pylons become an example of public space planning
Since 2006, the monumental work "Source" has been included in
"The European Archives of Urban Public Space"

The pylon becomes an Olympic symbol
Sochi skier
Height :32 m, Weight: 41 tons
Builder: Energomach
Location: Olympic Village, Sochi, Russia

The Amneville pylons are recognized by the French Ministry of Culture
as an important monument and have been open to the public during the
"European Heritage Days“ since 2008

Haute couture for high voltage, “Nuit Blanche”, Paris 2013

Pylons are at the heart of the works of Contemporary Art
Dancing through the pylon, performance,
Cachan 2007

Pylons are studied in schools as an example of an artistic and technical
innovation, among works of Leonardo da Vinci, Piet Mondrian, Buren,
Marcel Duchamp…
French school manual, "Art" sequence, Casteilla Editor, France 2011,
print run of 10,000 copies

In 2009, the artwork "Source" has been laureate of the competition
“Science and Technology in European Art”, on the occasion of the
French presidency of the European Union

Pylons are a tourist and cultural attraction. Guided tours are organized
by the local Tourist Office to present the artwork “Source” to the
visitors

Pylons appear on the cover of the world press

Since 2005, Source is in the archives of INCCA - International network for
the conservation of contemporary art.

My concept - named "Electric Art“ - was born in 1999, as I read in
the French newspapers that the pylons were supposed to go
underground as soon as 2010 in the Paris area, and 2035 in the whole
country, thus disappearing from the landscape. My artworks and
projects intend to assert overhead line supports.Instead of trying to
hide them, I prefer transform them into artworks.
My "Art-Pylons" are multi-support towers for energy transport (low,
medium and high voltage line supports, wind turbine masts, telecom
towers for wireless transmissions, public lighting poles, etc.).
My goal is to customize them on their spot, which is unique, to magnify
them, to keep them as witnesses of our times. Instead of towers and
antennas – kinds of anonymous giants – I rather see artistic technical
works in harmony with man and nature.
2) Artist concept

Two kinds of intervention:
Sculptures: for new installations, through exploration of new forms for pylons to
be implanted in any landscape, urban, or rural area.
Art Installations: for existing towers, through a search for the best adaptation
to the site, in terms of visual aspects, while allowing the incarnation of the
infrastructure in artwork
2) Artist concept

Sculptures
and
Installations
2) Artist concept

Sculptures are structured around the lattice module, which facilitates the
construction of the pylons, and guarantees their resistance, while giving
them a role of witnesses of our time
Drawing & model
made of welded
copper wire
2004
2) Artist concept

Wind Art
New forms for wind towers
For innovative environmental and
aesthetic impacts of wind turbines
I am working on the masts and on
the use of smaller blades rotating
about a vertical axis
This allows to greatly personalize
and humanize wind turbines, and
extend their potential locations…
even in urban areas
2) Artist concept

2) Artist concept

The construction of my “wind sculptures" is conceptually structured around the
lattice module. Thus, they are achievable by “pylonists” once modelled, and
suitable for urban and natural landscapes.
Each sculpture can accommodate for one or more turbines, be they vertical or
horizontal-axis.
2) Artist concept

I am going to present you the main milestones of my intervention in
a project of building and installation of an "Art-Pylon".
I shall compare my approach with those applied in different types of
project (line burying, pylon strengthening, wind turbine replacement,
use of composite materials, etc.).
The basis of my concepts is the lattice which guarantees the stability
and solidity of the pylons, making it possible to create novel shapes
and silhouettes.
My goal is to assert, that "Art-Pylons" are as strong, more aesthetic
and less expensive than the other solutions.

Two major stages of implementation: the project and the construction

« Melina » project, drawing and modelling, France, 2003
Project stage
At the project stage
there are:
• artistic designs
• feasibility checks
• sculpture modelling
• selection of colors,
materials, lighting

Teamwork is paramount. The artist must respect the technical requirements of the engineers.
Here an example of a correction of an installation following a technical study which shows
that a pylon that carries the turn of the line will not support an asymmetrical dress.
Source, initial idea Source, projet correction

Addition of elements to give a new form to pylons - humanoid pylons
and provide them a feasibility certificate.
« Amarelus »
project, drawing
and modelling,
France, 2002

Steps in the construction of the Sochi skier, 2013

Amarelus humanoid pylon, study of light for a 225 000 volt power line
support, drawings, 2002

The artwork "Source" is unique because of its concept and its dimensions.
It is a monumental art installation on a 225 000 volts High Voltage power line
"Amnéville - Montois“, France, 2004.

Comparison of different solutions
Impact on the
landscape
The Art-Pylon fits into the
landscape
Il is the only one which is personalized
according to the environment
Sustainable
development
It is designed to be
aesthetic
It is inspired by the local culture and
history
Cost
Costs of the Art-Pylons
over the traditional lattice
is limited to the artistic
conception (only once for
a project) and to the
lighting
It is estimated that overhead lines cost
from 3 to 5times less than underground
networks.
And lattice-based Art-Pylons are much
cheaper than those made with
composite materials
Lifetime
Art-Pylons have the same lifetime than the traditional lattice pylons,
the only proven lifetime, so far
Opportunity
and feasibility
The Art-Pylons are based
on the proven concept of
the traditional lattice ones
The underground
network is not always
possible because of
the soil nature
Wind turbines
require some
wind

The name "Source" has been chosen by the artist, as a reminder of the
nature of the activities of the thermal city of Amneville.

Architectural study of the floor layout: circular base and lighting projectors.
Pylon Nb.10 on
daylight and with its
night lighting,
Amneville, 2004

Pylons:
Nb.10: "Source - light" (28m)
Nb.11: "Source - water" (28m)
Nb.12: "Source - energy" (34m)
Nb.13: "Source - flame" (34m)
Location:
Tourist and Spa Center
Amneville les Thermes, France
Visitors: more than 5 million a year
Inaugurated: February 17th, 2004
Sponsor and management: RTE
Robes for Amneville, drawing, 2002

Tourist and Spa Center - Amneville les Thermes, France.

“Source” Art installation
Four overhead line supports and 1.5 km of line are
transformed into artworks
Sizes: 34m high, 1255m long, 28m wideand 28
tons
Technical media: Stay-cables, stainless steel
tubes, on four high-voltage pylons on a 225,000 V
operating line
Materials: 3 284m of steel cable, 2 708m of stays,
525m of plastic canvas, 576m of stainless steel
tubes, 384 fixations, 40 lighting projectors
controlled by satellite
Amneville 2004

My reflection, in association with the lighting designer, has resulted in the painting of the
pylons, the establishment of colourful ropes, from the middle of each tower to the ground,
the enhancement by monochrome lighting from the ground, which boosts the installation,
giving movement to the artwork, so that each pylon looks like a character dressed in a
monumental gown.

Colourful cables, tinted in the bulk, for a better integration, project, 2010

I have worked on many projects all over the world.
Each work carries the symbolic of the space that will welcome it.
It becomes "a unique work in a single space".
A thorough reflection is carried out on the culture, history, traditions and
topography of that integration space.
In most cases, it is a matter of improving the visual aspect of the pylon,
its humanization and its acceptance by the local populations.
The artists imagination must also be moderated by a total collaboration
with the engineers.

The power grid towers become "environment-friendly" because
they are inspired by the history and culture of the country.
Viking pylon for Norway, drawings, 2015

The pylons are environment-friendly because they are created for real and
unique sites, as symbols of our times - times of steel and concrete. They are
our dolmens, or cathedrals, and will remain in the history of art and electricity
Funny pylon for California
Deer for the Russian landscape
Pylons - masks for Peru

Replacement of a 1959 pole with a new one in 2007 - the same form
Replacement project with a sculpture, photo montage, 2007
Low-voltage pylons, in our cities

Sustainable, they seek inspiration in the traditions and landscape of a country
Flower towers and
Bird tower for Holland

Project for La Défense - Paris, a sculpture "Cathedrale”, photo montage 2003

Symbols/inspirations for
Amneville pylons
Water: Thermal city
City of Steel: Industry
born in the 1900’s in the
region, so, steel is one of
the materials used in the
construction of the work
The Energy: important
symbol, for the artwork
“stands on” the energy
carrier - the pylon

Building Source – Buitink Technology developed a device for measuring
the tension of steel cables, specially for that artwork

Menina for Spain, inspired by Diego Velasquez

Fashion landscape towers for France
Character 2001, Giant Lady 2002, Shoe 2006

Projekt for La Defence – Paris (photomontage) 2003

Art-Pylons are not only a unique works of art but they are a testimony of an
artist's dream come true, and a technical challenge overcome.
They prove that we can create a pleasant environment and change the face of
the planet.

My approach is fully in line with what is commonly called nowadays the
"energy transition". Thus, when the French Ministry of Environment and
Sustainable Development wanted to treat that subject in the Annales de
la Recherche Urbaine - a survey of more than 200 pages published in
September 2007, it found only two illustrations:
Fée Electricité of Raoul Dufy, and Elèna Paroucheva’s Art-pylons!
5) Conclusion

Thank you

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