The context

The owner of a plot in the south of the Langres plateau wanted to install a basic shelter to accommodate a public of hunters and fishermen. In order to give it a singular dimension, he takes the initiative to call upon an artist. This commission should enable the village, despite its isolation, to be part of a contemporary history and development.

The commission

Located in a place far from any habitation, the "refuge painting" is perceived as a painting in the landscape. Nearby, it is a minimal cubic volume at the edge of a pond. Inside, neither water or electricity, the floor is made of clay, the walls of brick, the furniture of wood. Designed for a maximum of six people, the "Red Square" offers a radical immersion experience. Since its opening, it has been rented by a predominantly urban clientele, including foreigners, without excluding local visitors when the climate becomes harsher. Its operation is self-financing.

Gloria Friedmann

At the same time, the artist tried unsuccessfully to create a sculpture-shelter in the Alps : she lived near the site and knew the region of Chatillon in depth. She notes: "For a long time I have been trying to create a work in the middle of nature, isolated, far from everything, but that we can reach".