Julien Vermeulen Black Ocean, a tide of feathers

"Knowledge, and the illusion of knowledge" This aphorism nurtured young feather artist Julien Vermeulen’s imagination to create Black Ocean, a monumental wall of sharp black feathers for the Toguna space in the heart of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. The wall looks like a huge wave that, Mr. Vermeulen says, symbolizes the myth of Icarus. Everything in the work has a meaning. The feathers recall the tragic hero’s beating wings as well as the waves of the sea in which he sinks, while their deep black color symbolizes his ignorance.

Mr. Vermeulen created the installation with over 12,000 turkey feathers. Each was hand-cut into the shape of an arrow, colored with India ink and assembled to the others with a pneumatic stapler. The first pattern is staggered. Vanishing lines and a clever inclination of the feathers create a perspective that draws waves and scrolls. The wall’s soundproofing allows viewers to immerse themselves in the work and its symbols. It makes us think and feel at the same time.

“Black Ocean is an allegory of the Icarus myth. In my opinion, it conveys a powerful idea. Defiance and ignorance are dangerous. They can even kill.”