Crack of Dawn
Friday April 12, 6pm
Launch

ISBN  978-2-9590594-0-7
Transfiction books
Paris, 2023
500 copies
88 pages
265 x 195 mm
Offset
Sewn Casebound with flaps
Graphic design Célestine Claudin

In the Porte du Point-du-Jour district, situated between Paris and Boulogne-Billancourt, a flood embankment has been excavated beneath the asphalt. In the event of flooding, water is channeled into this 300-meter-long trench, preventing the Seine from overflowing.

The quay is punctuated by reinforced concrete pylons supporting the roadway. Hidden behind these pylons, cabins have been constructed since the 1970s. These cabins were fashioned from wooden planks, tarpaulins, plastic, and salvaged materials gathered here and there by their occupants.

For three years, Alexander Rączka and Anatole Abitbol visited the place. Three years of research, during which they painted ritualistically.Summer 2022, violent fires destroy all of the structures. After clearing out the debris, the authorities cleared off the quay, to prevent any new installations.

Crack of Dawn tells the story of Alexander Rączka and Anatole Abitbol’s return to the site after its destruction, their final intervention, the ghost paintings they left on the charred walls, a dialogue with emptiness and absence.

The first 100 copies are signed and accompanied by a unique photo print, chosen at random from 100 photos of paintings that have now disappeared.