Claudio Arnell revealed his new photographic artwork “Digital Vegetal Wall 2” at a gathering next to the Marigot cemetery on Friday evening. In photo: Claudio Arnell (left) and Second Vice President Bernadette Davis (right) unveiling one of the works of art. (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT--Claudio Arnell revealed his new photographic artwork “Digital Vegetal Wall 2” at a gathering next to the Marigot cemetery on Friday evening.
“This is the second edition, a new layer, if you will, of photography treated through the eyes of a painter,” Arnell explained. “It’s based on recycling, too, based on my experience at a convention in the museum in Lyon last summer. That really guided my work towards sustainable health. So I repurposed the plywood, adding a second layer of photographic prints, and the theme of this work is the mangrove.
“The energy behind it is hope, and in the first edition in 2019 it was the hope of St. Martin recovering from Hurricane Irma, when I took colourful photos of flowers, greenery, plants. The mangroves took time to return, but now they are back.”
Mangrove ecosystems are known to play a purifying role against pollution and protective role against hurricanes and tsunamis.
The mangrove photos were taken around the island and reveal the unique forms of the mangrove root network. In total there are nine pieces on the walls of the cemetery for visitors to admire.
Vice Presidents Bernadette Davis and Dominique Louisy were present to assist with the unveiling as were members of Claudio’s family. Collectivité President Louis Mussington stopped by to congratulate Claudio on his way to a public meeting in Sandy Ground.
Second Vice President Davis, who is in charge of the environment, said it was a pleasant coincidence that the theme of the art work is mangroves, as regenerating mangroves is one of her missions this year.
“This is a living exhibition of what we need to do. You are doing something fantastic and it gives us an opportunity to educate our young people about protection, even by bringing them here to see this work,” she told Claudio.
