Riddles, Voyage d’hiver

Transposed to the verdant grounds of Versailles, this new iteration of the Riddles installation acquires altered meaning, with the Sphinx having been the first sculpture Louis XIV erected in the Palace’s famed, sprawling gardens. Appearing to remind visitors of the riddles of existence, Marguerite’s artwork Sphinx Otto Protecting Earth from Humankind is a fearsome, bone-white sculpture with its mouth agape and giant wings outstretched. An awe-inspiring protector, the Sphinx Otto in the context of Versailles promises to guard earthly realms from the threats of humankind. In response to the over-designed and carefully maintained gardens that the site is renowned for, Marguerite worked with gardeners, botanists and toxic plant specialists to create a maze of poisonous, blood-hued vegetation selected from black magic recipes, including Cornus sanguinea, Cornus alba siberica, Salix alba chermesina and Hamamelis sedum.