The cottage

The Hut is a work whose simplicity makes it powerfully beautiful!
Three high-lying glulam branches support a stone.
On the ground floor there is a bench that invites you to sit...
Elegance and... simplicity!

The hut is the work of Alexandre Rossignon , built as part of the Fête de Mai 2015 and visible at Haltinne in the 2015 loop.

Alexandre Rossignon graduated in Civil Engineering from the Free University of Brussels in 2007.

He works for the renowned stability design agency Ney & Partners. He co-founded in 2013 and for 5 years managed the Namur branch of Ney & Partners WOW, specializing in wooden structures.

As a visual artist , he designs and shapes matter in all its forms in close relation to a place. Wood, stone, metal, concrete, earth, etc. on a human scale and beyond. In the city, in the country or in the middle of nature. Works that lead the visitor to an inner experience of the place and of himself.

The party of never

In the beginning, according to artist Byoung-Tak Moon 's legend, a dragon inhabited the bowels of the earth. It is the mythological figure of Asian legends, symbolizing the forces of nature and its riches, appearing at every moment to remind people of the respect they owe to their environment, traditions and history . Likewise, every year the Fête de Mai invites artists and visitors to meet in the heart of Namur Condroz to pay tribute to art and nature. In just 15 years, dozens of international artists, sometimes from other continents, have been able to express themselves in our forests and landscapes of Gesves.

More than a hundred works, mostly made of natural materials, almost half of which are still visible, have found their place. Hundreds of visitors have freely discovered them through the pages designed for them for hiking trails . In passing they crossed the paths, valleys, nature reserves and sumptuous landscapes (45 minutes from Brussels and Liège) of the Namur Condroz.

La fête de mai was created in 2001 in the municipality of Gesves and is organized by the non-profit association Vagabond'Art.

art trails

In 2018, the Gesves loop will join the Sentiers d'Art and Condroz-Famenne , which have already crossed Gesves and Ohey, Somme-Leuze and Havelange. Sentiers d'Art extends to Ciney en Hamois and forms a circular route of 120 km.

The Sentier d'Art en Condroz-Famenne is an attractive and unique hiking route in Wallonia that stretches over 141 km in the Vallée des Saveurs (Ciney, Gesves, Hamois, Havelange, Ohey, Somme-Leuze) and along the 42 works of Art can be seen in nature.

These works of art belong to the Land Art movement that emerged in the 1960s, in which the artist intervenes directly in the space and the components of the landscape and nature. In order to work in harmony with the environment that welcomes him, the artist works with natural materials (twigs, stones, leaves, hay, etc.) and the installation evolves over time, eventually becoming biodegradable. Therefore, they are often fleeting works. They should stay with the Sentiers d'Art for a few years. Whether the work is simple or complex, Land Art integrates with nature.

Sentiers d'Art is accessible free of charge all year round for all non-motorized users.

The 140 km long circuit is signposted (red rectangle with the inscription "Sentiers d'Art"). Some small family routes offer the opportunity to discover different works of art over a distance of 6 to 16 km and are not signposted. However, these small loops are detailed on the map (on sale for €3).

Note: The big loop is only marked in one direction and the small loop is not marked.

Willem Vandenameele