Hundreds of white porcelain bowls drift across deep-blue pools, slowly approaching one another before meeting with a delicate chime. French artist and composer Céleste Boursier-Mougenot’s clinamen transforms these everyday objects into a constantly changing musical instrument. For its latest presentation, the installation moves outdoors for the first time, filling Athens’s historic Onassis Mandra.
The historic venue dates back to the Belle Époque era (1871–1914) and is the only surviving open-air Athenian theater from the period. Located on Dionysiou Areopagitou in Plaka, it now provides an open setting for the floating bowls and their unpredictable soundtrack.
At Onassis Mandra, clinamen takes on a new dimension. As the work’s first outdoor presentation, the installation is exposed to the elements—sun, wind, and rain—along with the sounds of Athens. Shifts in weather or light can alter the atmosphere, while the sounds of the city mingle with the porcelain. If rain falls, it becomes another element in the score.
The result is a quiet, ever-changing landscape of water and sound. Rather than presenting a performance to observe from a distance, Boursier-Mougenot creates an environment that encourages visitors to slow down and inhabit the moment.
This iteration of clinamen is on view at Onassis Mandra in Athens from September 26 through December 5, 2026, Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot’s clinamen brings hundreds of floating porcelain bowls to Onassis Mandra in Athens.
Gentle currents move the bowls across three pools, creating an ever-changing composition of delicate sounds by chance.
On view through December 5, the first outdoor presentation incorporates Athens’ light, weather, and city sounds into the installation.
