Chiharu Shiota: In the beginning was...

In the beginning was… is a site-specific installation created from threads and stones from Sorigué's gravel pit, which are intertwined in a dense weave, visualized as a stellar constellation. The title of the work is taken from the first line of the Gospel of St John and refers, on the one hand, to the origin of the universe: "I felt that there was a common realm between the universe inside me and the one outside, just as I felt that my body was the closest thing to the universe. Perhaps when people leave us, they dissolve into the universe," says the artist. And on the other hand, Shiota alludes to the origin of Sorigué's company, which involved extracting and processing sand and gravel: "When I first visited this gravel pit, what struck me most was the beautiful sound the stones made when they fell. With the stones, I also wanted to recall the beginnings of this company." The building housing the installation was created specifically to hold it, and is annexed to the local mineral and geology visitor's centre.