Journée d'initiation à la sculpture sur pierre
Welcomed by Nicolas Orselly, a professional stonemason who supervises integration teams on the restoration site of Fort Saint-Nicolas, you will learn to work with stone while following a pre-established protocol.
All skill levels are welcome, and no prior experience is required: the day will be an opportunity to share techniques, tool handling, and material understanding, always guided by spontaneity and the management of unpredictability that characterize abstract expression.
Nicolas adapts to each participant’s level to support the practice throughout the day. However, everyone goes through the same steps to understand the necessary phases leading to the finishing.
You will work with the historic and emblematic material of Fort Saint-Nicolas and its 360 years of history: the Couronne stone.
The workshop will take place within the spaces of the Citadelle of Marseille, in the educational workshops that for 20 years have hosted the training of employees in integration programs for traditional building trades, who restore the Fort with passion through the associations ACTA VISTA and BAO Formation.
Direct carving is a practice where form and reaction to the carving of the stone guide the creative process. It is part of a long tradition of plastic expression, and many artists have used this approach: Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Brancusi, Modigliani, and Derain…
At the end of the day, you will leave with your unique work!
Practical infos
Inside the Citadelle of Marseille
Warning !
Entry will be through the Esplanade du Quinzième Corps, 13007, Marseille (passing in front of the Q-Park Pharo)
One Saturday per month at the Citadelle of Marseille
09:00 AM → 6:00 PM
7 to 10 participants
Minimum age: 18 years
€135 VAT included per person, including:
- Full day on site
- Personal Protective Equipment provided
- Loan of all discipline tools: saw, scissors, mallets, files, claws...
- Hot drinks and light snacks
You will, of course, take back home your creation!
During the lunch break, you can enjoy some relaxation time. Please bring your own lunch for a self-catered meal, or enjoy the Guinguette du Fort.
Note: If the workshop does not fill sufficiently, we will offer you to reschedule for the next available dates.
Stonemason specializing in the restoration of Historic Monuments since 2007, I currently work as a trainer in traditional masonry at BAO Formation, where I support the restoration project of Fort Saint-Nicolas.
I have been practicing stone carving since 2012, and I trained in ornamental sculpture at the Avignon Academy of Arts, under the guidance of Philippe Zuberbühler.
I later turned towards direct carving and completed several workshops with Rickson Zavaré, a master sculptor from Zimbabwe.
In my studio, I work in direct carving, selecting each stone myself and assembling the pieces to create volumetric compositions.
My work sits within an abstract register, but I seek to integrate figurative elements as well as other media.
