Creation of an ephemeral landscape and artwork for the parterres in the garden of Vaux-le-Vicomte
Call for Proposals
View of both parterres from the dome of the château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
1. Historical background
The chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte is a major monument of French heritage. Designed by the architect Louis Le Vau, the painter Charles Le Brun and the garden designer Andre Le Nôtre for Nicholas Fouquet, the Superintendent of Finances under King Louis XIV, it was the first work by this trio of artists. It was also the first private commission for Le Nôtre, who – at the time of the commission in 1656 - was 43 years old. It was also the first garden Le Nôtre created ex-nihilo – a blank slate as it were on which the garden designer would demonstrate the full extent of his genius. Unprecedented in its grandeur and size, Vaux represents garden 1 Vaux le Vicomte – 77950 Maincy – France – Tél. : +33 (0)1 64 14 41 90 – [email protected] www.vaux-le-vicomte.com
design at its apogee, a testament to Le Nôtre’s consummate understanding of volume, topography, vegetation and hydraulics, and his unerring sense of scale, proportion and perspective. Vaux is a garden in name only; rather, it is a designed landscape that raises the enterprise to the level of art. As such, at Vaux, Le Nôtre established a gardening tradition universally recognized as the “French formal garden,” a model that would henceforth inspire the greatest European monarchs, beginning with Louis XIV at Versailles.
Vaux’s boxwood parterres were essential component of the garden’s design, creating an delicate and harmonious transition between architecture and landscape beyond. These emblematic elements of the composition are often the image that the public has in mind when thinking of a French formal garden. Le Nôtre designed the parterres between 1656 and 1661 in the then current “turqueries” style, inspired by the embroidery motifs of Turkish carpets popular in the 17th century. Twenty years later, the Swedish architect Nicodemus Tessin, the Younger, would draw them.
“The parterres were composed of a mono-culture of boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’), off-set in a field of mineral materials – usually crushed brick and anthracite. As such, the compositions varied little with the seasons, suggesting the idea of Man’s dominance over Nature.
“In time, the embroidered parterres were replaced by lawn, which remained until the early 20th century. Beginning in 1923, the grass parterres were removed (excavated to a depth of 20 inches) and were replaced by new embroidery boxwood parterres designed by the landscape architect, Achille Duchêne in the spirit of Le Nôtre.
Nicodemus Tessin The Younger drawing of the Vaux-le-Vicomte parterres - circa 1680
These embroideries were replaced after a few decades by a lawn. At the beginning of the 20th century, the flower beds that were still in grass, are dug (20in deep) and transformed into an embroidery boxwood parterres, designed by the landscape architect Achille Duchêne in 1923, inspired by the work of Le Nôtre.
2 Vaux le Vicomte – 77950 Maincy – France – Tél. : +33 (0)1 64 14 41 90 – [email protected] www.vaux-le-vicomte.com
Achille Duchêne drawing - 1923
2. Present context:
The estate of Vaux-le-Vicomte today belongs to the Vogüé family, who preserve, with the greatest attention, this national heritage, as well as the spirit and daring of the great men who created it. Patrice de Vogüé opened the estate in 1968. His three sons are now responsible for the family business, the preservation of the property (the largest in private hands and classified as a Historic Monument) and its transmission to future generations.
In 2010-2011, the first signs of problems with the boxwood parterres were observed; it was soon evident that a serious problem was at hand. Following a spectacular and exceptional attack of “box blight” in the spring and summer of 2017, 70% of the boxwood plants were dead from a species of Lepidoptera – Cydalima perspectalis – that feeds on boxwood leaves. Consequently, the parterres were not presentable to the 300,000 annual visitors to the garden.”
Before 2011 Today 3 Vaux le Vicomte – 77950 Maincy – France – Tél. : +33 (0)1 64 14 41 90 – [email protected] www.vaux-le-vicomte.com
At the initiative of the Vogüé family, a scientific committee was convened in December 2017 and concluded that it was no longer reasonable to save the boxwood. It will be some time before scientists find a cure to eradicate boxwood diseases and pests and/or to agree to a replacement plant. Meanwhile, moving forward, and in anticipation of the 2019 season and beyond, and in order to present to the public parterres worthy of the masterpieces of 17th century, it was decided to:
• Remove all the boxwood from the two parterres south of the château in January 2019. At this time the beds will be covered with earth and delimited by the current grass strip. • To announce in summer 2018 a Call for Proposals from artists, landscape architects and designers – or teams composed thereof and other trades and professions – for the creation of an Ephemeral Work at the site of the parterres.”
3. Call for Proposals:
Vaux-le-Vicomte launches in 2018 a Call for Proposals in order to offer to the the public a "ephemeral creation" in the heart of the French garden on the two most emblematic parterres located immediately at the foot of the château. This consultation is conducted with certain urgency, given the sudden and unexpected destruction of boxwood embroidery by the caterpillar, and the finding established by specialists of the irreversibility of the situation. The approach of each candidate (or team of candidates, each entity being responsible for the entire work of the team) must have a bold and creative will. The realization of the laureate’s Proposal must be exemplary in its results, as well as by its implementation. Proposals must demonstrate reliance and understanding of the landscape, architectural and topographical features and specifics of the entire estate. Proposals should be inspired by the successive metamorphoses of these parterres since the 17th century to the present. The Ephemeral Work will be the expression of a dialogue between the architecture of the château and the garden, integrating harmoniously with the landscape of the estate.
Candlelit evening 4 Vaux le Vicomte – 77950 Maincy – France – Tél. : +33 (0)1 64 14 41 90 – [email protected] www.vaux-le-vicomte.com
4. Requirements of Winning Proposal (not exhaustive)
• Duration of the work: 5 years • The aesthetic character of the work must last at least 6 months, between March and December. • The work must be visible both day and night. Indeed, lighting is now in place along the central allée (see photo on the previous page). The Proposal may provide additional lighting in addition to or in place of existing lighting. This lighting must then be part of the technical and financial proposal. • The work must be visible from different points of view: from the château (south porch, ground floor or 1st floor) as well as close-up. • The overall budget for the realization of the work is 200.000 € (pre-tax value), all charges and remuneration of the artist(s) included. • The maximum maintenance budget per year is 18.000 € (pre-tax value),. • Dates of completion of the work: from March 20 to May 31, 2019.
An additional benefit would be projects: • Offering interactivity with the public • Offering a possibility of fundraising via a crowd-funding platform for example.
5. Conditions of the Call for Proposals:
o Phase 1: Notice of Intent: The Proposal must include: • A notice of intent describing in a succinct manner (2000 signs maximum) the project as it might appear to the public and an explanation of the reasons for it. • A sketch of the project (overview)
o Phase 2: Selection of the 5 finalists: The 5 selected candidates (by a jury, on the basis of the notice of Intent and sketches received) will have to produce a Proposal, which will support and specify their project with: • The general purpose (2500 signs) • 4 sketches or photo-montages of the project (general view, a detailed view, a close-up view, a profile) • A note explaining the choices and the artistic approach, the methods of execution of the work, its implementation on the two parterres and any other element to appreciate the artistic orientation of the project. • A schedule for carrying out studies and works • A detailed budget of the cost of producing the work • An explanatory note and cost estimate for the maintenance of the work
o Phase 3: Selection of the “laureate”
5 Vaux le Vicomte – 77950 Maincy – France – Tél. : +33 (0)1 64 14 41 90 – [email protected] www.vaux-le-vicomte.com
6. Financial conditions:
• An allowance of 3000 € (all charges included) will be awarded, upon presentation of an invoice, to the 5 candidates whose projects were selected in Phase 2. • The total budget for the creation of the artistic work, including the winner's remuneration, must not exceed 200.000 € HT. • A budget of 18.000 €/year maximum will be allocated to the maintenance of the work.
7. The jury:
The winning Proposal will be selected by a Jury composed of the members of the family business who manage Vaux-le-Vicomte, its head gardener, architects, landscape architects, artists, and journalists.
The jjury reserves the right not to choose a laureate, without comment or justification of its decision.
8. Provisional timetable:
Friday, July 10, 2018 Publication of the Call for Proposals
Dates of visits to Tuesday, July 17 at 9:00am Vaux-le-Vicomte Tuesday, July 24 at 2:00pm Monday, July 30 at 9:00am
If you wish to attend one of these visits in order to ask your questions, please register (MANDATORY) by sending an email to: [email protected] with the subject: "Bowling greens visit 2018"
Thursday, August 30 PHASE 1: Deadline for submitting notice of Intent. The required documents must be sent before midnight August 30, 2018, by postal mail against signature (Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte - Alexander de Vogüé, 77950 Maincy - France) and by email at: [email protected] with the subject matter "Notice of Intent 2018"
From Sept 1 to 10 PHASE 2: Following the examination of the candidatures, a first technical commission will retain 5 candidates. Each candidate will receive a response by mid-September 2018. The 5 successful candidates will be asked to provide the elements specified on Phase 2 (see page 5) by October 30, 2018.
6 Vaux le Vicomte – 77950 Maincy – France – Tél. : +33 (0)1 64 14 41 90 – [email protected] www.vaux-le-vicomte.com
November 15 PHASE 3: The winning candidate will be appointed by a jury *
* An oral defense by the candidates may be requested by the jury, in case of need to decide upon several projects. It would take place at Vaux-le-Vicomte, Paris or by Skype if necessary.
Winning laureates will have the parterres at their disposal from April 1 to May 31, 2019 for the implementation of their proposal. Laureates must respect the rules of use of the Vaux-le-Vicomte garden and estate (transportation, schedules, safety, etc.).
The inauguration will take place on June 6, 2019.
Housing on the estate of Vaux-le-Vicomte can be made available during this period.
9. Additional Technical Information:
• At the end of the uprooting of boxwood during the month of January 2019: - the two parterres will be covered with 5 cm of arable soil - They will keep their grassy border and their topiaries • Size of a parterre: 22m wide x 110m long • There is no watering system nearby. • The soil is clayey, fairly strongly basic (pH 8.26), and can become asphyxiating due to lack of drainage and low microbial life • The soil is very wet due to nearby springs and moats. • Nearby electricity sources: East parterre: 4pc 16A + 1p17 West parterre: 3 pc 16A + 2 p17
This document is for guidance and information only
Additional information on the estate,
www.vaux-le-vicomte.com Videos of the embroidery boxwood parterres: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n047oOHnti0
Contact Alexandre de Vogüé Director of development and public affairs [email protected]
7 Vaux le Vicomte – 77950 Maincy – France – Tél. : +33 (0)1 64 14 41 90 – [email protected] www.vaux-le-vicomte.com