On the occasion of Art Basel Paris’ Public Program, Galerie Mitterrand is pleased to present L'Arbre Serpent by Niki de Saint Phalle, a monumental sculpture that will be installed on the forecourt of Institut de France from 15 to 20 October 2024.
‘The tree is the body of myth, whether plant or animal, trunk or snake.
It is the emblem of great nature, the fetish of sensitivity, the mark of the universe. It is body and spirit, knowledge and life.’
Niki de Saint Phalle created L'Arbre Serpent in 1987. A monumental mosaic fountain, it is equipped with a hydraulic system that allows the twelve snake heads to project water from their mouths. This work belongs to the artist's series of monumental totem poles and was inspired by L'Arbre de Vie (The Tree of Life), which the artist created in 1985 for the Tarot Garden in Tuscany. The use of mosaic, glass and fragments of mirror is a reference to Antoni Gaudi's Parc Güell in Barcelona, which the artist visited in 1955.
A recurring motif in Niki de Saint Phalle's bestiary since the 1960s, the snake is an ambivalent symbol of sin and new life, a savior animal but also a cursed beast. A double figure in the artist's work, its omnipresence calls for a form of transcendence of the violence of nightmares and traumas. She says: ‘I was born terrified of snakes. Snakes are imbued with a bewitching mystery. At the zoo, I loved trembling in front of them. To me, they represented life, an indomitable primitive force. By making snakes myself, I was able to turn my fear of them into joy. Through my art, I learned to tame and harness these creatures that terrorized me.” By associating the snake with the tree of life, the artist expresses her own resilience in this work.
Niki de Saint Phalle created several snake trees, two of which are also covered in mosaics. One belongs to a private collection, while the other belongs to the Niki Charitable Art Foundation (NCAF). Between 1992 and 1993 the artist created four other Arbre Serpents, this time in painted polyester, each measuring 260cm in height. One of them can be seen in the forecourt of the Musée d'Anger in France, while the others belong to private collections around the world. Another version, also owned by the NCAF and measuring over 5 meters, has been on display for several years in San Diego's Waterfront Park.
