La Danse de la fontaine émergente

You are standing before La Danse de la fontaine émergente, a striking sculpture that reimagines the traditional city fountain as a living, serpentine creature. Designed by the French-Chinese artist Chen Zhen, this work takes the form of a dragon that appears to weave its way through the concrete of the square and the walls of the adjacent water treatment facility. The sculpture is composed of steel, glass, and plastic, creating a transparent skin that reveals high-pressure water surging through its coils. At night, the fountain comes alive with a colorful display of internal neon lights, transforming the rigid materials into a glowing, rhythmic shape that pulses with the flow of the water inside. The fountain carries a profound connection to the site it occupies, as it stands directly above an underground plant that filters non-drinkable water from the Seine to supply the city’s parks and streets. Chen Zhen originally conceived the piece in 1999 as a way to celebrate this unseen urban energy, but he passed away in 2000 before he could see it completed. His wife, Xu Min, took over the project and brought his vision to fruition, finally inaugurating the monument in 2008. By placing this mythical dragon in the heart of a modern industrial space, the artists bridged the gap between ancient cultural symbolism and the functional, hidden machinery that keeps the modern city running.