For the third edition of ‘Parade, the public event’ Simon has fashioned a lathe that he personally manipulated during the occasion. This symbolic gesture draws a poignant parallel to the vanishing craftsmanship within the village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. Masschelein’s work melds material and mechanism, granting vivacity to objects, inviting them to breathe within spaces —an homage to mechanics' unspoken eloquence.

From medieval echoes springs innovation: a spring-pull lathe, mirroring the tension of a bow, conjuring perfection from wood. Nature's touch manifests as a local tree near the Maison André Breton, a bent branch’s tension woven into his craft—a kinetic collaboration of nature and the machine’s very essence. A nut from the tree is shaken to the ground and further enriches the tale. Masschelein's artistry, a fusion of memory and innovation, nature and craft, resonates with whispers of a village's heritage.

(image Regan Elena)

During his residency in Saint-Cirq Lapopie in December 2021 , Simon Masschelein created a sculpture using materials found at the restoration site of Maison André Breton. ( image by Regan Elena)

Typically for his oeuvre, Masschelein creates components from various materials, such as wood and stone, that also serve as elements to

support the structure, resembling a kind of scaffold. In this work, the artist uses his own body to become a hinge or part of the sculpture.

He climbs towards his own creation on the rock in Saint-Cirq, carving out a form that represents his own evolution over time.

©FinnFons - Radicale1924