Marcel Dinahet made the Falaises videos during a residency on the island of Ouessant in October 2008. In this series, the artist uses the same technique of immersing his camera at waterline level, but he confronts the mass and physical energy of the ocean by filming the ebb and flow of the waves.
The cliffs are filmed in close-up, revealing only the water and rock. At first glance, it is difficult to identify the location. Marcel Dinahet shot his footage at different times of the day, at high tide and then at low tide. This seascape appears to us in different lights, with shades of gray, pink, blue, black, and orange. This visual beauty contrasts with the inaccessible nature of the island, embodied by the natural wall that stands before us. It seems impassable, and the incessant movement of the waves gives the impression of being swept away by the current. In this series, Marcel Dinahet wanted to reveal another perspective of the island, far removed from the image found on postcards. Falaises presents the wild, rugged, and isolated character of Ouessant through its steep surroundings. Marcel Dinahet produces another reality of space by physically confronting the natural elements. He favors a minimalist approach and a play of contrasts between the sea and the mineral. This latter device is a conclusion to the exhibition 1=3, which is not intended to be narrative, but rather refined.
