Graceful Artwork by Pascale Girardin Welcomes Visitors at the Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas

Pascale Girardin installed an artwork "Daphnee" in the Ceasars Forum Convention Center in March 2020. The artwork of more than a thousand white and gold leaves dispersed in the spaceful lobby is an ode to the valued and prized laurel plant of ancient Rome. The myth of Daphne is revised and brought to light here in Las Vegas by the atelier.

Daphnee, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, Photo credit:
David Marquart

The Caesars Forum Convention Center is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and spans 5 acres east of the Las Vegas Strip. The LEED Gold-certified building's architecture features an extensive expanse of floorspace. Its two ballrooms, for example, cover an area of 20,000 square meters.

Daphnee, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, Photo credit:
David Marquart

KGA Architecture called upon Pascale Girardin's atelier, known internationally for its creative contributions to the hotel industry, in order to create a series of artworks for the convention center's lobby, which reaches a height of 35 feet.

Daphnee, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, Photo credit: Sory Sangaré

In response to the venue's unique brand, the laurel tree - symbol of immortality - quickly asserted its evocative power in the artists' mind. With the natural light provided by an abundance of windows, two giant mobiles are now displaying their pristine, sinuous and slender cups, reminiscent of the Laurus nobilis (true laurel), whose evergreen foliage has been valued and appreciated since Ancient Rome.

Daphnee, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, Photo credit: Sory Sangaré

In addition to bringing movement, suppleness, grace and lightness to the linear architectural structure with which the artwork interacts, the Montreal artist and designer's creations introduce the gestural sensibility of organic forms. The various elements, which gracefully fluctuate in elevation, create a three-dimensional pattern that lends a poetic dimension to the space.

Some pieces feature 24 karat gold leafing. Daphnee, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, Photo credit: Sory Sangaré

Daphnee is complemented by three murals, bringing together hundreds of elements that interact with each other in a naturalistic composition. They recall the legend of how the nymph Daphne (Greek Δάφνη, meaning "laurel"), was transformed into a shrub to thwart the attention of Apollo.

There are 1290 elements in the sculpture. Daphnee, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, Photo credit: Sory Sangaré

For this project, aluminum, a malleable material, was a natural choice. As with ceramic, this medium lends itself well to pressing and allows for the expression of a variety of forms. More than a thousand leaves adorned with accents of gold leaf were manufactured and assembled in Montreal before being transported to their final destination.

Aluminum and electrostatic coating were used as materials. Making of Daphnee, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, Photo credit: Stephany Hildebrand

Making of Daphnee, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, Photo credit: Stephany Hildebrand

It's the sum of all the details that together lead to the creation of a space that is outside of time. 

-Pascale

In addition to the artistic component, the project has an elaborate set of specifications. A team of experts with in-depth technical knowledge worked behind the scenes of the installations, which were governed by strict transportation, export, hanging and maintenance standards.

The result is Daphnee: a timeless appeal, a universal expression.

Installation of Daphnee, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, Photo credit: Sory Sangaré

About Pascale Girardin

For more than twenty years, Pascale Girardin has been navigating between the world of ceramics, visual arts and design, instilling her unique vision upon the art objects, tableware and architectural installations that she creates. Inspired by the expression of pure forms, her art discreetly highlights our fundamental relationship to the world in which we live. Whether suspended, adorning a wall or floating in the water, her works recall the omnipresence and organic structure of nature.

Originally trained as a painter, Pascale Girardin’s interest in both art and science led her to study biology (Université de Montréal), design (Certificate in Digital Technologies, Concordia University) ceramics (Centre de Céramique Bonsecours) and visual arts (BFA Concordia University). With the goal of enhancing her ability to conduct thoughtful research and to continue nourishing her work Girardin is a recent graduate(MA) of the Université du Québec à Montréal. Her work as a visual artist and designer has earned her several awards and distinctions, including the Pierre-Pagé Prize and grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.  

Pascale Girardin's work complements the architecture of many luxury establishments around the world, including Nobu Broadway, the Four Seasons Montreal, Saks Fifth Avenue, Clement Restaurant in New York, Four Seasons Private Residences in Pudong, the Printemps Paris and the Al Badia Golf Club in Dubai.

Daphnee, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, Photo credit: Sory Sangaré