Sylvestre Gauvrit

Sylvestre Gauvrit brings a sense of movement and emotional resonance to everything he creates. Trained in classical sculpture, Gauvrit has developed a language of lightness, where line, form, and surface converge into shapes that feel intuitive and timeless. His work often references natural elements and unseen energies.

For the SYMPHONY SHANGHAI project, Gauvrit was commissioned to produce two large-scale public artworks. Set along the banks of the Huangpu River in Xuhui Riverside, the sculptures respond to the project’s central theme, Flowing Feast, Heartbeat Echoes. The forms express fluidity, transformation, and harmony between the built and natural environment. Princesse des Airs offers a calm, ethereal, and suspended-in-stillness vibe.

Princesse des Airs floats, spiralling gently between water and sky. The sculpture is inspired by the rising fog that drifts along the riverbanks at dawn, a moment of transformation when air and water become indistinguishable from one another. Its form captures the explosive tension of a wave paused in mid-motion, refined into soft contours and fluid lines. The surface reflects light like water, shifting in tone throughout the day to echo the river’s changing colours. In its stillness, it embodies serenity and strength.

Behind its seemingly effortless poise lies a complex process of engineering and craft. UAP’s Shanghai team worked closely with Gauvrit and his collaborators to ensure that the sculpture could appear weightless while remaining structurally sound. Every element—from digital design to structural testing, casting, and final finish—was calibrated to achieve the delicate visual rhythm Gauvrit envisioned.