RESIDENCY UPDATE - Research Creation by Parti Poétique : Autel Humus by Stéphanie Sagot

RESIDENCY UPDATE – Research Creation by Parti Poétique : Autel Humus by Stéphanie Sagot

As part of Transformative Territories, Zone Sensible is hosting the artist Stéphanie Sagot in residence for a research-creation project exploring our relationship with the soil, ecosystems, and the cosmos. The resulting work, Autel Humus(Humus Altar), is a site-specific sculpture dedicated to the celebration of soil life and the rituals that surround it—combining the poetic, the practical, and the philosophical.

Autel Humus is both a functional composting tool and a space for reflection and transmission. Designed for the urban farm of Zone Sensible in Saint-Denis, it places particular emphasis on nectar-producing plants and bees—central to the farm’s biodiversity and symbolic ecosystem. The work connects the site’s permaculture activities with its human, plant, animal, and fungal inhabitants, grounding them all in the wider cycle of life. The altar makes visible what usually remains hidden—compost—by situating it at the heart of the farm, not only as a tool for transformation, but as a sacred and symbolic center.

Made of wood and adorned with terracotta ex-votos, the sculpture features symbols and inscriptions referencing local flora, bees, life cycles, the four elements, cardinal directions, and various cosmogonies. Its shape evokes the Greek letter Omega, which philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin saw as the final point of convergence for humanity and the cosmos—a symbol of planetary and spiritual evolution.

Rooted in an “ecosophy” of the living world, Autel Humus fosters rituals aligned with the agricultural calendar: composting, sowing, and harvesting practices are transformed into shared moments of care and reverence. It also connects with the Trésor Public project by Parti Poétique, notably through the inclusion of beeswax candles, whose colours reflect the nectar collected by bees in harmony with the sun. A dedicated space for these candles is integrated into the altar.

Update on research-creation activities

Several workshops have already marked the development of Autel Humus, engaging local communities in the creation process:

Workshop 1 – January 2025
Children aged 7 to 9 were invited to explore the living soil of Zone Sensible through a playful and sensitive survey. They conducted a “demographic” inventory of the soil’s many inhabitants—plants, insects, fungi, and more—awakening a sense of curiosity and wonder.
Workshop 2 – February 2025
A willow cutting and propagation session brought together children and elderly women, building intergenerational ties while supporting the République Forestière initiative by Parti Poétique.
Workshop 3 – May 17, 2025
A collective gardening session prepared the space where Autel Humus will be installed. Participants outlined the installation area and sowed nectar-producing seeds. The workshop concluded with a poetic reading by Stéphanie Sagot and a meditative moment shared with the group.

Through these collective gestures, Autel Humus becomes both a composting altar and a vessel for shared knowledge, ecological awareness, and spiritual connection—rooting human experience in the fertile mystery of the soil. The installation is scheduled to be unveiled in autumn 2025, during Zone Sensible’s Creative Assembly.