From 2009-2011, an intriguing installation L'arbre aux chelles by artist Franois Mechain was on display in the Parc du Chteau at the Chteau de Chaumont-sur-Loire in France. With the title translating to “ladders tree,” the work of art consists of exactly that–several ladders leading from the ground into the branches of a tall tree, where the tops of the manmade structures disappear into the foliage.
L'arbre aux chelles serves as a reference Italian writer Italo Calvino's novel The Baron in the Trees, in which the protagonist takes refuge among the branches to escape the stress of everyday life. This poetic installation by Mechain invites the viewer to imagine climbing to the top of a ladder and viewing the world from up above. A beautifully surreal sight, the tree is a fanciful retreat into nature far removed from the mundane worries of the rest of the world.
Above: Photo by E. Sander via Domaine Chaumont
Photo via Anetcha Parisienne
Photo by E. Sander via Domaine Chaumont
Photo via Tousazimuts
Photo via Une note blanche
Photo via Henry Road
Photo by Sylvain Collet
