While visiting the Maison Ruinart in Reims, Julian Charrière was struck by the chalk quarries, those massive caves carved into the remains of an ancient sea of the Cretaceous period. This white chalk is made of very old limestone deposits, proof that several millions years ago, there used to be an ocean in the Champagne region. His installation called “Chorals” awakens this ancient past and connects it to global warming and the acidification of the oceans. With both sound and light effects, this immersive installation transforms our perception of space. A shallow water pond reflects the chalk walls, a dark surface which comes alive thanks to “recordings of aquatic landscapes” (sounds of reefs, crustaceans, fish and currents) captured by the artist during dives. The idea is to compare this living sound atmosphere with chalk and make the past resonate in these ancient careers.