Les Anneaux is an installation artwork by Daniel Buren and Patrick Bouchain located on the quai des Antilles on the île de Nantes in Nantes. Created for the Estuaire 2007 contemporary art festival, it consists of 18 silver galvanized steel rings fixed at equal distances on the old bollards of the quay, along the Loire and the hangar à bananes. At night, the rings are illuminated by LEDs that alternate red, green, and blue colors. The work was sponsored by Patrice Coupechoux, founder of IDM Groupe Coupechoux.
The installation was created to allow visitor interpretation, while Daniel Buren sought to inscribe the work in the city’s history and geography. Its circles refer to rings that enclosed and imprisoned slaves, and they also reference the triangular trade, with Nantes as a hub. The rings furthermore evoke wedding rings, linking river, sea, and land in a space presented as a crossroads of elements.
Nearby Objects
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Jules Verne Museum 350 m away -
Maillé-Brézé 550 m away -
Saint-Anne's Church 550 m away -
Jardin extraordinaire 650 m away -
Notre-Dame de Bon-Port 1000 m away
Location and meaning
Intro is an artwork by Daniel Buren and Patrick Bouchain located on the quai des Antilles on the ile de Nantes in the city of Nantes. It was created for the Estuaire 2007 contemporary art festival and was sponsored by Patrice Coupechoux, founder of IDM Groupe Coupechoux. The work symbolizes the slave trade history of Nantes, giving it a commemorative role within the urban landscape.
Design and Placement
Les Anneaux is composed of 18 galvanized steel rings located along the Loire and the hangar a bananes. The rings are silver in color and are fixed on old bollards of the quay at equal distances from one another. At night, the installation is illuminated by LEDs that alternate red, green, and blue colors, giving the work a changing visual presence after dark.
Meaning and Symbolism
Les Anneaux were created to allow visitor interpretation, and Daniel Buren intended the work to be inscribed in the city's history and geography. The circles refer to the rings that enclosed and imprisoned slaves, and they also reference the triangular trade, with Nantes as a hub. At the same time, the rings evoke wedding rings, joining the river, sea, and land in a space described as a crossroads of elements.