Baschet Brothers

The Baschet's research started in the 1950s artistic turmoil, soon turning the two brothers into the pioneers of sound sculpture, in addition to making them highly requested by musicians, composers, experimental directors.

The quest for new sounds led the Baschet brothers to combine new materials of the time, usually through folding metal sheets into geometric shapes.

Their sculptures range from small folded sheet metal of a few centimeters up to structures several meters high with loud, impressive and complex sounds.

Their exhibitions were shown in prestigious museums throughout the world – the United States, Japan, Germany – as well as in small villages in France, always with the aim of making art accessible to all.

The Baschet brothers also created several public monuments such as clocks, fountains, bell towers and chimes – some ephemeral, some still in existence.

Beginning in 1952, the Baschets started research into all existing musical instruments and put this knowledge to work in creating dozens of structures sonores (i.e., 'sonorous sculptures').

Their visually striking instruments were crafted out of steel and aluminum and amplified by large curved conical sheets of metal, and are most often easy to play and accessible to people with any level of experience.

One example of this is the Hemisfair Musical Fountain, which consists of an array of posts at the top of which are groups of conical sound diffusers, and above them circles of metal prongs.

The group was successful and in 1960 were asked by Jean Cocteau to provide music for his film, Le Testament d'Orphée.

In 1977 Bernard met Michel Deneuve, a musician, who joined them, starting a new association, and assisted in creating instruments.