fanny allié

The balcony project

Femme au Balcon, 2015, neon light and wood, L 27in x H 53in x D 1in
On the balcony at 425 East 58th Street in NYC, I created a site-specific neon installation representing the outline of my mother sleeping, her head resting on a pillow and her upper body facing the outside view. The light figure is appealing to riders using the Queensboro Bridge and the Roosevelt Island tramway. The balcony becomes a window on an intimate scene, a human presence sleeping or lying down. The installation contributes in blurring the boundaries between private and public spaces. The balcony is the platform from which one can both observe and take part in the life of the outside world. The balcony can be a stage where an ordinary daily life scene can take a new dramatic dimension or can trigger fictitious scenarios, for those who observe it from a distance. The Hitchcock movie Rear Window was on my mind during the creative process. The sleeping figure activated the viewers’ imagination and desire to make up their own stories.

The balcony project

Femme au Balcon, 2015, neon light and wood, L 27in x H 53in x D 1in

The balcony project

Femme au Balcon (photoshop rendering), 2015, neon light and wood, L 27in x H 53in x D 1in