As part of the exhibition “The Littoral Zone,” presented at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco until next October 15th, English artist Marc Quinn unveiled his flamboyant sculpture “Burning Desire” yesterday in the Boulingrins Gardens of the Principality.
Bright red, in bronze, and spanning over 4 meters, the immense hybrid orchid created by English artist Marc Quinn, the “Burning Desire,” was unveiled this Friday, June 22, in the Boulingrins Gardens of Monaco, Casino Square.
In the presence of His Excellency Mr. Minister of State Michel Roger, Jean-Louis Masurel, Managing Director of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, and Robert Calcagno, General Director of the Oceanographic Institute, Marc Quinn expressed with emotion his burning desire “to invest in this magical space, among the most photographed in the world” – and equally dear to the appeal of the Principality.
While the majority of his exhibition “The Littoral Zone” – a work conceived as an unprecedented and renewed dialogue between Art and Science, Land and Sea, and the life-giving source that is the Ocean – is displayed at the oceanographic institute of the Principality, Marc Quinn primarily desired a setting that would do justice to his “Burning Desire” during the exhibition. The French-style gardens of the Boulingrins with their magnificent water fountains perfectly fulfilled this role: the artist’s striking giant orchid ignites this lush greenery.
In line with the general theme of his exhibition, Marc Quinn has succeeded with his gigantic sculpture in making contemporary art a message of beauty and emotion, which will appeal to both aficionados and novices of the genre. A message that speaks of grace but also of awareness, which will sensitize everyone to the protection of the environment and especially to the extraordinary environmental heritage of the entire Mediterranean basin.
In a society where science seeks answers and art poses questions, Marc Quinn has benefited from these divergences, achieving the feat of putting art at the service of science.
