Rolf Saint-Agnès x Hager Group: a colourful artistic collaboration!

The Franco-Swedish artist created for the company a huge 180m² fresco in Obernai, representing the values of the Hager Group through colourful animals.

This Monday, July 6, Daniel Hager put the finishing touches to this 180m² work with Rolf Saint Agnes standing by. They hung a 2-metre "giant drop" made of resin on top of it. This "drop" is the artist's trademark and can be found in almost all his creations. 
Find out more about this article thanks to the interview below in which he explains this work and gives his vision of the current period.
But before you start reading, follow this link and take a tour of his workshop: 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEqSCSgacEI&t=1s

How's it going? 
It's going pretty well despite this surreal situation we've all been through. 

I went back home to the southwest with my little family and fortunately, it's in the country. The big advantage of confinement is that there was no need to taxi the kids around. 

Did you continue to create during this particular period? 
I continued to create, I worked on a new Statue of Liberty entitled "Taste Freedom" (you can see it in the video), a lion entitled "Concrete Jungle":



I also took part in a big art sale organised by KazoArt (an online gallery), of which all the benefits went to the Fondation de France's "Tousuniscontre le virus" fund, with this artwork:



What advice can you give us to stimulate our creativity when we're just starting to deconfine? 
To stimulate creativity, I think the best thing is to "let go" which is the title of the painting in progress at Hager.
And by the way, I invite the whole Hager community, to let go, by colouring in the giraffe I've prepared for you and take some time to disconnect and relax.

In fact, can you tell us more about the painting in progress in Obernai?
The work I started in early 2020 for Hager will mark a very special and unprecedented period. I think it will take on an even stronger meaning.
The arrangement of the seven canvases has been thought out with: 2 canvases of the same format vertically to symbolise the power to let go, 2 canvases of the same format horizontally for the equality between beings and 3 canvases below to evoke continuity. 



For this project, I chose to paint animals to represent different values. The animal can address, represent and identify beings of any nationality and everyone can find their way without discrimination.

Nature and animal life showed us, during the lockdown, that they could quickly regain their rights. This is why I find that my work takes on an even stronger meaning by using the forces of nature.
In addition to the drop that expresses eternity, I chose a panther, giraffe and swallow which symbolises Hager Group’s values : courage, authenticity & integrity.

The panther is very powerful and is linked to the value of protection. It is also an animal considered to be a guardian. Moreover, it is a symbol of courage, bravery and power. It has also been associated with the sun, particularly in South American cultures.
People who identify with this animal are beings who have a great understanding of the spiritual field. These people are often particularly intuitive and attracted to artistic aspects.

The giraffe is a messenger, it pushes us to be ourselves and to try to get as far as we can, according to our abilities. Often, the giraffe can remind us that each of us has a remarkable potential to grow and face the different challenges of life. Moreover, the giraffe shows us the meaning of effort: we must strive to overcome the difficulties that naturally present themselves to us while maintaining balance.
Another important element of this animal is vision. 
Because of its long neck, the giraffe can see very far. The gaze of this animal is often fixed on the horizon, which links it to the ability to predict the future and to see further.

The swallow is an omen of good fortune and it is a good luck charm in the whole world.
The swallow symbolises freedom, happiness, fruitfulness, enthusiasm, luck, loyalty, faithfulness, purity and endurance.
Since the Middle Ages onwards the swallow, a migratory bird, is considered to be the messenger of spring. It is therefore associated with the renewal of vegetation. 

What did you learn during this crisis / What positive things did you learn from this crisis?
This crisis has confirmed to me that we are very little and that the artistic senses are the essence of the psychic. 

One last piece of advice to stay positive?
Admire the colours – Let’s listen to our senses – Let’s put away the indecency! 
www.rolfsaintagnes.com