The Monumental Forest

From June 2024 to September 2026, this major land art exhibition will stretch over four kilometres in the Roumare forest, near Rouen. A total of 13 works will be on display, all of which will capture our imagination. The environmental aspect is at the heart of this dreamlike journey, which also encourages us to reflect on the current climate situation.

The first edition of The Monumental Forest, which took place from 2019 to 2021, was a huge success. Over 400,000 visitors attended. The open-air exhibition is now back on the outskirts of Rouen.

A breathtaking permanent work by a Danish artist

The good news is that one of the works selected for this second edition will remain permanently in Canteleu, just outside Rouen. This monumental piece of art, A Giant in the Forest, is very endearing. It’s the work of Danish artist Thomas Dambo. Like a ‘silent guardian of the forest’, this forest giant, reminiscent of a troll, is made of recycled materials.
During the installation, Thomas Dambo will invite anyone who wants to contribute to the building to do so.

A swing in XXL format

It is the fruit of the imagination and work of a Czech collective. This giant swing made of recyclable wood will delight young and old alike.

You’re also bound to fall in love with these fun thatched, bamboo and reed huts, designed by French architects Atelier YokYok. Step inside and stick your head through! As well as being great fun, the aim is to make us think about our carbon footprint.

A mirrored egg

The next work is by Rouen artists Fabrice Deperrois and Pauline Thébault, from the Plastiqueurs collective. They have created a huge mirrored egg that reflects the trees of the Roumare forest. Go ahead and touch it! You can even turn the egg on its axis.

2 works of art inspired by Rouen Cathedral

Using wood and wire mesh, Olivier Thomas has created a cathedral inspired by Notre-Dame de Rouen. As the months go by, nature will regain its rights and flourish. The other artist chosen for the second edition of The Monumental Forest to be inspired by Rouen’s world-famous building is none other than Canadian Linfeng Zhou. More specifically, he took inspiration from its stained glass windows to create a communication capsule.

As well as:

• A ladder to Heaven by Catalan architect Xevi Bayona. The very tall ladder reaches the top of the tree and features two characters in the middle of their ascent.
• A giant xylophone by visual artist and musician Will Menter and his Rivière Sonore du Possible.
• Wooden boars by Ewa Dabrowsk to raise awareness of ‘global deforestation and its impact on the survival of wildlife’.
• 3 wickerwork camels by Polish artist Jan Sajdak.
• L’attrape-brume, by Mathilde Caylou: 1,065 blown glass drops hanging from the trees like a spider’s web.
• The work of two of Spain’s most famous ‘textile architects’, Francisco Parada and Laura Salvador, created using Norman linen skins and fibreglass.

Sending an environmental message

As well as the aesthetic aspect of this land art exhibition, it also aims to convey a message of environmental protection. Rouen’s forest heritage covers a third of its territory. The aim of this exhibition is to present nature in a playful way and to convey the message that we have a duty to respect and protect our environment. The Monumental Forest is part of a programme run by the Rouen-Normandy Urban Community and the Office National des Forêts (ONF) to promote and raise awareness of the three state forests that have been awarded the Forêt d’Exception® label. Or when art plays its full role as a messenger…