À l’Unisson
À l’Unisson (In Unison) is a monumental sound installation created for the 2026 edition of the Horizons d’eaux contemporary art trail. Installed on the barge of the Convivencia festival, the work takes the form of a 6.5-metre-high foghorn, suspended above the boat or resting on its deck. Part sculpture, musical instrument and signalling device, this sonic presence gives a voice to the Canal du Midi.
With À l’Unisson, the foghorn becomes a contemporary sculpture. While navigating, it rests horizontally on the deck, recalling the old horns once used on inland waterways. During concerts, it rises vertically, suspended like a giant tuba pointing towards the sky. Activated at specific moments, it emits a deep sound that can be heard from afar, accompanying the movement of the barge and marking the different stages of the festival.
Built from iron and brass, the work evokes boat hulls, wind instruments and objects shaped by time. Its sculptural presence enters into dialogue with the landscape of the Canal du Midi, revealing its sonic and poetic dimensions. Conceived as a mobile artwork, À l’Unisson reflects the spirit of the European RELIGHT project led by Les Abattoirs, Musée – Frac Occitanie Toulouse, which envisions the canal as a space for artistic experimentation, movement and encounters between heritage, contemporary creation and local territories.
A project in collaboration with Ricardo Angeles Reyes and Andres Blume,
with the invaluable support of Captain Sam, Jean-Marc Samuel and his barge Le Tourmente.
Production: Les Abattoirs, Musée – Frac Occitanie Toulouse, in partnership with VNF and Convivencia.
Les Abattoirs: Emmanuelle Hamon (Project Manager), Lucero Gutierrez Vargas (Project Assistant), Cypril Tastayre (Technical Manager).
Convivencia Team: Cécile Héraudeau (Director), Pauline Sauret (Cultural Programmes), Vanessa Eudeline (Communications), Fanette Thazet (Production), Manuel Yuste (Technical Manager), Mario Bompart (Radio), together with the entire crew, volunteers and technicians.
Electronic design: Sara Lana
Special thanks to Robert Portante for his advice, and to the teams at Les Abattoirs and Convivencia.
Produced in 2026