Persona, ae: acteur, personne is an installation by contemporary artist Cécile Raynal. The artwork is composed by six busts in smoke-fired stoneware and resin which are sitting around three metallic tables. 

For this sculpture Cécile invited long serving prisoners in the Caen Detention Centre, to pose for her, very much in the spirit of a conversation about the prison and the world outside it. The project helped to facilitate relations between the artist and these individuals and to create a place where they could more easily open up. She says: "one man had been in prison for 23 years and said he no longer knew what he looked like; he thought the sculpture would answer this question. He was hoping to be able to recognize himself."

In this place of tough and strong feeling, where human relationships are often difficult and mistrustful, the artist nevertheless managed to tame the harshness and give rise to discussions during each modeling. Once finished the busts of the prisoners were hoisted up onto a scaffolding-like metal structure, to open up the space and display them to the spectators. Silently the statues impose their presence round a table, reminiscent of an imaginary Last Supper.

In 2014 Persona, ae was displayed in the courtyard of the justice courts in Rouen. Thanks to the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign affairs the installation was on show in the Domaine de la Celle Saint Cloud's gardens. Since 2017 it has been on show in Toulouse in front of La Depeche press group headquarters.

Surface required for the sculptures’ installation: 2m50 x 6m

Height of each sculpture on its base: 1m70

Dimension of the metal table: 3m30 x 1m10

This artwork is a one-off piece, delivered with a certificate of authenticity.