La Danse de la fontaine emergente, Public fountain sculpture in 13th arrondissement, France.
La Danse de la fontaine emergente is a metallic dragon-shaped structure that emerges from a building wall, descends underground, and reappears at street level. The work reveals flowing water through glass sections that create a visible link between the upper surface and the ground below.
The project was commissioned by Paris in 1999 for artist Chen Zhen to complete. After Zhen's passing in 2000, his wife Xu Min continued the work, bringing it to completion in 2008.
The dragon shape carries meaning from Chinese tradition, representing power and good fortune in its homeland. This eastern symbol sits prominently in a western city setting, reflecting the diverse communities that make this neighborhood their home.
The work sits next to Gare d'Austerlitz station at Place Augusta Holmes and is visible directly from the street without barriers. It operates with a closed water circulation system and receives nighttime lighting that makes it worth seeing after dark as well.
The transparent sections let visitors watch pressurized water flow through the dragon's body, creating a surprising link between the building above and the street below. This visible water movement is the beating heart of the installation, giving it a living quality that changes throughout the day.
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