Choosing Unity Beyond Walls | Land Art Sensation, Saype

“We are living in a time when humans want to control everything. But I think we need to stay modest because we see that nature can take the power away from us.”

LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION

Saype, Artist

Instragram (@saype_artiste) and Facebook (@saypeartiste)

Wherever you turn nowadays it’s impossible to escape reports of looming global issues and the implications for us as humans. These big unknowns about climate change, technological advancement, and increasing polarisation are enough to make us duck our collective heads in the sand. But not for land art sensation, Saype. He tackles the thorniest issues of our day head-on in his unconventional art.

Named one of Forbes’ most influential cultural personalities of 2019, Saype is the architect of spectacular grass paintings, measuring 4,000-8,000 square metres in size. These giant artworks are created with self-made 100% biodegradable paint and can only be seen from high above. They remain intact for no more than two-to-four weeks before blending right back into nature.

Saype travels the world – from the mountains of Colombia to the Champs-de-Mars in Paris – to share messages of unity, harmony with nature, and the ephemeral nature of life. He recently unveiled the third installation of Beyond Walls, an ambitious project intended to create the largest symbolic human chain ever made, across more than 20 cities on five continents. In this piece, Saype encourages us to choose unity over human-created barriers, coming together in solidarity on important global issues.

This conversation was recorded during one of Saype’s prior visits to Geneva when he was working on a collaborative project with SOS Méditerranée, called Message from Future. He describes the inspiration behind his art and walks us through the meticulous process of creating a painting he can’t see until it’s completed. Plus a few of the unexpected adventures that come from painting in nature.

French-Swiss artist Saype works on his giant biodegradable landart painting in the “Parc de la Grange” on Friday September 13, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. With an overall area of 5’000 square meters, this 165m long x 30m wide painting was created using biodegradable pigments made out of charcoal, chalk, water and milk proteins. This art piece in the “Parc de la Grange” along with a second one in the “Parc des Bastions” marks the third step of the worldwide Beyond Walls project intended to create the longest symbolic human chain around the world promoting values of togetherness, kindness and openness to the world. (VFLPIX.COM /Valentin Flauraud)

A FEW THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT…

• • Saype’s roots in graffiti art at the age of 14 on the tennis courts in France
  • What makes graffiti art vs vandalism?
  • Land art and the meticulous process of creating a painting you can’t see until it’s finished
  • The migration crisis in the Mediterranean
  • Painting in nature with self-made biodegradable paint as a means to create awareness about environmental issues
  • Message from Future project made in collaboration with SOS Méditerannée

CREDITS

A huge thanks to Saype for this heart-warming conversation. You can learn more about his work at www.saype-artiste.com or connect with him directly on Instagram (@saype_artiste) and Facebook (@saypeartiste).

This podcast is a CultureRISE production, created in partnership with Jenn MacLeod of Jenneve Digital. Your host is Aimée DuBrule.

All images courtesy of Saype (Photo credit: Valentin Flaurand)