The Boat harp, from the Ars Ruralis collective

SEZNY’S STORY
In Ireland, pregnant Wingela dreamt every night of a star that was to be her unborn son, Sezny. This child, who went on to become a priest, stood out for his faith and humility. After travelling to Rome, where he was made bishop, he performed miracles by healing the sick.

One day, he dreamt of a mysterious coastline and set sail for Armorica with his monks.
He found the bay he had seen in his dream and met a dog that guided him. Sezny and his monks built a “penity” (a small monastery) and, with his miracles, won the trust of the inhabitants. Inhabitants were frightened by a haunted marsh, symbolising the passage of souls, because the boat that once carried the dead to the Other World had got stuck, preventing the souls from leaving.

Thanks to Sezny, the ancient rites were rediscovered and the boat set sail again, finally freeing the souls. It is said that the Barrachou rocks that appeared in the bay are evidence of this liberating impulse.

THE BOAT HARP
The sound sculpture takes the form of a stranded boat, a Boat-Harp set between sky and sea, at the crossroads of worlds. Like a sacred vestige, it symbolises the passage of souls floating between the shores of the visible and the invisible. Inspired by fishermen’s boats, it acts as a supernatural vehicle, a poetic link between land and water.

Designed to welcome visitors, the structure has become a refuge, a great sounding board open to the wind. You can sit there, meditate, listen, wait for the wind to make the strings sing, stretched between the mast and the hull, like ritual words rediscovered. These vibrating strings evoke ancient formulas, forgotten voices that encourage you to take an inner journey.

A sound turns into breath, breath turns into a presence. The freed soul can resume its journey, accompanied by the birds as they take flight again. The sculpture, suspended in space, speaks to us, intangibly, of the sea, the land, and the mystery of the passages between worlds.

THE ARS RURALIS COLLECTIVE
The Ars Ruralis project, led by Simone Mulazzani and Valentina Grossi since 2014, explores the boundaries between art, craft, poetry, music and anthropology. Through a cross-disciplinary approach, the two artists seek to reconnect art with nature, creating works in which matter, gesture and the environment engage in an intimate dialogue.

Working mainly with natural materials and outdoor installations, their work seeks to recapture a social and public function. They regularly work with festivals, museums, eco-museums, cultural institutions and outdoor art events, so that each creation is fully integrated into its environment and gives rise to a sensitive, participatory experience.