Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey

For the nighttime trail The Secret Inhabitant of Mont-Saint-Michel, Spectre Lab conceived a poetic journey inspired by a very real yet largely unknown presence: the pair of peregrine falcons nesting at the top of the Abbey's spire.

From this discreet presence emerges a narrative where history, mythology, and symbolism intertwine. Saint Michael, a solar figure associated with the struggle between light and darkness, inherited many attributes from ancient deities. His iconography echoes Apollo, the god of light, as well as Horus, the falcon-headed god of Ancient Egypt.

Throughout the trail, the falcon becomes an invisible guide. Its gaze seems to travel through the centuries, connecting beliefs, legends, and the architecture of the monument. The Abbey's spaces are transformed into territories of apparitions, fleeting presences, and symbolic evocations.

Through a combination of light, imagery, sound, and scenography, visitors progress through a series of tableaux alternating between mysterious, sometimes unsettling, and often poetic sequences, revealing a more secret and imaginative dimension of Mont-Saint-Michel.

Concept and Artistic Direction: Mathilde Meignan & Spectre Lab
Technical Production: Contact SARL