© 24Heures
The Sainte-Croix Automaton cherishes free will
The art of the Vaudois, whose androids are collected all over the world, has just become a UNESCO World Heritage Site
To meet François Junod, you have to climb to Sainte-Croix and the Balcon du Jura, which has just been listed as a UNESCO Intangible Heritage Site for its watchmaking know-how and artistic mechanics. The master’s workshop occupies a former cardboard factory that belonged to his father and then to the Reuge factory. As soon as you enter, you enter a sort of flea market which happens to be the ground floor of the company which employs four people: “I created this robot-automaton for a play. It was the first time I made one with a spine!” Upstairs, plaster animal heads everywhere, skulls, springs, birds and, on a workbench, a dozen pairs of eyes waiting for a face. “I like living in this organized chaos. When I enter my studio, it’s a bit like entering into myself.
24 hours
Catherine Cochard Texts
Jean-Paul Guinnard Photography
Published:
11 February 2021
Share