Crack of Dawn

Crack of Dawn – In the Porte du Point-du-Jour district between Boulogne-Billancourt and Paris, a flood shelter has been dug under the asphalt. In the event of flooding, the water rushes through this 300-meter-long trench, preventing the Seine from overflowing.
The quay is punctuated by imposing reinforced concrete pylons supporting the roadway. Hidden behind these pylons, huts were built from the 1970s onwards. They were made of wooden planks, tarpaulins, plastic and rubbish collected here and there by their inhabitants.
For nearly three years, Alexander Rączka & Anatole Abitbol frequented the venue. Three years of drifting and research during which they paint ritualistically.
Summer 2022: violent fires destroy all the buildings. Once the rubble had been cleared, the authorities closed off access to the quay to prevent any further installation.

Crack of Dawn tells the story of Alexander Rączka and Anatole Abitbol’s return to the site after its destruction, their final intervention, the ghost-paintings they deposited there on the charred walls, a dialogue with emptiness and absence.