Aurignac: At the Aurignacian Museum, art fuses with science – restoring prehistoric giants

Blizzard that hit Cumming Friday evening 1^Verse April was not discouraged by the audience who came to attend the return of Nicholas Sodres’ sculptures to the Aurignacian Museum.

The sculptor has, in recent months, achieved an art show in 3 parts, modeling three prehistoric giants, the cave bear, the exotic horse gorilla Anisodon, and the wild animal primate Amphicyon. The sculptor proceeded to work on the advice of specialists, archaeologist Jean-Baptiste Forville (absent during the evening), paleontologist Sylvain Duvaud, and Pascal Tassi, paleontologist at the Museum of Natural History in Paris.

The latest work on this ambitious project led by Aurignacian museum and prehistoric scientist Nathalie Rouquerol, the unveiling of the statues sparked public admiration. Each animal was formed before the eyes of the public thanks to the talent of the sculptor, who breathed life, energy and strength into these beings out of nowhere, the existence of which is revealed only through precious fossils. From the skeletons, under the guidance of scientists, the artist found the morphology and position of these disappearing giants, resuscitating them in a permanent way. The three works will now be part of the permanent collections of the Aurignacian Museum.

“The main idea of ​​the project, as Natalie Roquerolle identifies, was to combine the artistic side with the scientific field, so that they would bring to the other their skills in this collective creativity. It seemed to me that the sculptor Nicholas Sodres was the one who could take on this challenge, being a naturalist by training. He is a graduate of natural sciences, and the result is great.”

The veil fell off, the sculptor detailed the techniques used, metal frames, terracotta, bronze-effect patina, etc. The scientists themselves provided the necessary details about the giants, their habitat, diets, behaviors, and answered questions from the audience.

The evening concluded with applause for the artist and her partners, not forgetting the museum team, who greatly contributed to the success of the ceremony. Then the audience was invited to a nice snack.

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