Bernar Venet's Arc Majeur To Become World's Tallest Work of Public Art

If you drive the E411 in Belgium between Luxembourg and Namur in the coming weeks, you might notice a fantastical form rising up from the horizon. “L'Arc Majeur,” the latest work by French sculptor Bernar Venet, is being installed along that lonely stretch of road, beginning on 10 August, and will eventually tower 60m over the highway. Drivers will pass right through the 250-ton steel arc, which will be visible from as far away as 3km. The installation of the arc represents an astonishing accomplishment for Venet, one of the most revered artists in France today—it is the fulfilment of an idea he first had more than four decades ago. It is also the third time the artist has attempted to complete the project. The first time was in 1984, when installation of the arc along the A6 to Paris was vetoed by the mayor of Auxerre. The second attempt, slated for a highway in Burgundy, was halted by Venet himself after a French highway official tried to convince him to paint the work red. The final realization of the project in Belgium is said to have cost €2.5m, a feat made possible with support from the John Cockerill Foundation, the philanthropic arm of John Cockerill, a mechanical engineering company headquartered in Seraing, Belgium. Undeniably impressive from a public works standpoint, and undeniably fascinating in its visual presence, “L’Arc Majeur” has received extensive media coverage for an entirely unrelated reason. Public fascination with the piece seems to stem entirely from the claim by Venet that it will be the “tallest work of public art” in the world. Since even to the casual observer it would seem there are several much taller public artworks than this currently in existence in the world, “L'Arc Majeur” also thus raises a complicated aesthetic debate—what exactly is the definition of public art?

Tall Tales

When the “Statue of Unity” (2018) was erected recently in Gujarat, India, memorializing the first Prime Minister of independent India, it was celebrated by the press as the tallest public monument in the world. At an astonishing 182m tall, it is indeed more than three times the height of “L’Arc Majeur.” Some observers, however, quickly noted that “The Gateway Arch” (1963) in St. Louis rises 192m over the Mississippi River—10 meters higher than the “Statue of Unity.” Claims about the Indian monument thus promptly shifted to the fact that it is the tallest monument to a person anywhere in the world—an undeniable statement since the “St. Louis Arch” was erected as a monument to American westward expansion. But the question Venet seems to want us to ask goes beyond this distinction. He is challenging whether the “Statue of Unity,” “The Gateway Arch,” or any other public monument should be considered works of art at all.

Bernar Venet - L’Arc Majeur. © 2019 John Cockerill Foundation.

The argument that public monuments should not be considered public art seems to be tied to their function as mnemonic devices—their purpose, in other words, is specifically tied to memory and history. Yet, we certainly would not claim that portraits of living people, landscape paintings of real places, or realistic sculptural portrayals of actual objects cannot be art. Are such things fundamentally different than public monuments? Especially considering how many artists use memory and history in their work, especially within the Decolonization Movement, that would be a tough argument to make. Anyway, even if you did believe that argument, there are still at least three other public artworks in Europe today that are not mnemonic devices that either out-scale or match the height of “L’Arc Majeur:” “The Spire of Dublin” (2003), at 120m high, the “ArcelorMittal Orbit” (2014) in London, at 114.5m, and “Aspire” (2008) in Nottingham, which matches “L’Arc Majeur” at 60m tall.

Bernar Venet - L’Arc Majeur. © 2019 John Cockerill Foundation.

The Meaning of Purpose

Another potential argument about whether something should be considered art or not is that art can only be made by artists. If you believe that point of view, the “Spire of Dublin” would be disqualified because it was designed by Ian Ritchie, a British architect, and “Aspire” would be disqualified because it was designed by English architect Ken Shuttleworth. (Then again, we could also debate at length whether architecture can be considered art.) Regardless, the “ArcelorMittal Orbit” was designed by one of the most famous artists in the world today—Anish Kapoor. That means the only argument that might be used to disqualify it as public art is that the “ArcelorMittal Orbit” is also an observation tower. (It recently became a slide, too.) Unfortunately, if utilitarian purposes beyond aesthetics can be grounds for dismissing artistic credentials, then yes, “ArcelorMittal Orbit” must also be lumped.

Bernar Venet - L’Arc Majeur. © 2019 John Cockerill Foundation.

Perhaps what it comes down to for Venet is the question of meaning and purpose: if a public artwork has meaning, it is a memorial, and thus not a work of art; and if a public artwork has a demonstrable purpose, it becomes a product of design, and thus not a work of art. That leaves a fairly narrow definition of why “L’Arc Majeur” is the “largest work of public art in the world.” Venet means it is the largest abstract, public, aesthetic phenomenon with no defined, utilitarian, purpose. And in this category, he may be right. The “Chicago Picasso” (1967) is a mere 16m tall; the Tjentište Memorial (1962) in Sutjeska National Park in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 19m tall; “White Cascade” (1974), by Alexander Calder (the tallest mobile in the world) is 30m tall; “Endless Column” (1937), by Constantin Brancusi, is around the same, 30m; “Batcolumn” (1977) by Claes Olenburg is 31m tall. Nonetheless, I wonder why such a declaration even matters. “L’Arc Majeur” promises to be a stunning object to behold—one capable of inspiring phenomenal experiences in the minds and hearts of viewers. Measuring its greatness in meters seems small.

Featured image: Bernar Venet - L’Arc Majeur. Photo © Bernar Venet.
All images used for illustrative purposes only
By Phillip Barcio