Abraham Poincheval goes up the river in a giant bottle, it’s Grand cru(e) in the Rhône valley.

The adventure began in July 2015 on Napoleon beach in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône in the Camargue.

In 2016, it sailed in temporary immobility on the banks and quays of the Rhône River towards Geneva and Lake Geneva in Switzerland…

Before continuing in 2017 to the source towards Gletsch and the Alps?

Abraham-Poincheval map of the bottle
Map of the Grand Crue(e) bottle

The Marseilles artist Abraham Poincheval is the actor of a project supported by Le Citron Jaune national Centre for Street Arts in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône.

Abraham Poincheval on the Rhône

It was after the hundred-year flood of 2003 that the Rhône Plan was created as part of a global vision of the river, with a section devoted to flooding.

Beyond the organisation of its specific facilities (dykes, flood zones, etc.), a desire to maintain a culture around the Rhone River for its inhabitants was manifested, notably with this project:

Carrying with it thousands of years of history made up of mutations, new and forgotten arms, floods and droughts, it teaches us that nothing is ever set in stone and that our environment is constantly changing.
Through its passage, it connects territories and brings to light a common imaginary.

Itinerary of Abraham Poincheval
Itinerary of Grand Cru(e) along the Rhône

This journey up the Rhône River in 5 stages during the summer of 2016 is part of an artistic and educational project with meetings, artistic projects, writing workshops, games for passers-by and inhabitants of the towns and villages in the valley.

The next stop on Abraham Poincheval’s journey in September will be Andancette in Ardèche, on the banks of the Rhône River.

From 8 to 13 September, a continuous installation at the foot of the bridge in the village, with a convivial day on 11 September with entertainment and a picnic.

Abraham Poincheval dans sa bouteille en Camargue
A. Poincheval in his bottle in the Camargue

Web review

  • “Abraham Poincheval and his unusual journey in a bottle on the Rhône” – FranceTV info, July 2015 (French)
  • “He lived in the skin of a bear, he now lives in a bottle” – Télérama, July 2015 (French)
  • “Abraham Poincheval’s other vision of the world in his glass bottle” – FranceTV info, June 2016 (French)