FLOOD ABACUS, 2021

The Flood Abacus, installed in a flood zone in Courcelles sur Seine in late August 2021, was designed to measure the rising waters and playfully inform the general public of their dangers. In dry periods, the color-coded buoys are lined up two meters from ground level. Floodwaters push them upwards, beyond this level. A flood classified “frequent” pushes up the three blue buoys. An “occasional” level flood also pushes up the two yellow buoys and an “exceptional” flood even reaches the orange buoy. A flood more extreme than the historical disaster of 1910 would threaten the weather vane house at its top.

Commissioned by AREAS, financed by The Seine Eure Agglo, the Ministry of Culture and private sponsors.