It was on the site of an artichoke field, in the silt of the River Somme, that Notre Dame Cathedral in Amiens is said to have been built long ago… All that remains today of these watery foundations, which time and urban spread have gradually undermined, is a distant memory… Les Berges sonores is a musical installation by the CLAP collective, which revives this closeness between the city and the river through sound, the sound of the water hitting against the banks of the Hortillonnages Gardens. This sound, which is sometimes soft and sometimes violent, is normally inaudible to the ear of the walker. Hidden under a wooden pontoon, an unobtrusive bell acts as the water’s messenger, amplifying and developing the sound of its lapping. When the waters are high this instrument transforms into an alarm, warning the Hortillons gardeners of the rising water. Then, when the water subsides, it rings softly, like a quiet music box inviting the visitor to sit down and listen.

The Creative Landscape Process collective (CLAP) consists of two landscape designers who are graduates of the École Nationale Supérieure du Paysage in Versailles, Florian Bonino and Stéphanie Querio. Since 2010, this duo from Bordeaux has taken part in development projects, both at major landscaping and garden level.