The Island of Breath

On this second island, two iconic sites converse through the tides and the breath of the wind: the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey and the great torii gate of Miyajima’s Itsukushima Shrine.
Shaped by water and centuries, these sacred sites are united by an ancient twinning. A shimenawa rope bears witness to this deep connection, as well as to the shared reverence for nature and spirituality.
A three-dimensional animation tells the story of the recent environmental restoration of Mont Saint-Michel: a giant hourglass symbolizes the gradual artificialization of the bay. Human intervention restores the rhythm of the tides, the ecosystems, and the site's beauty.
Original artefacts enrich the narrative: the shield from the statue of Saint Michael, a symbol of protection; decorative plaques from the o-torii gate, and the shimenawa rope from the Miyajima shrine, which marks the boundary between the human world and the spirit realm.