The Semois as a Source of Inspiration for our art pieces and name

The Semois shapes the landscape through its meanders. For centuries, the river has traced gentle curves through the Ardennes relief, setting the rhythm of villages, hills, and valleys. These natural forms inspired the name of our establishment as well as this series of artworks.

The meanders of the Semois are more than simple geographical features. They reveal the interaction between water, time, and terrain, and show how the landscape has been shaped over centuries.Through our artworks, we translate these natural curves into artistic forms, each piece referring to a specific location along the river.

Meander of Bouillon (town centre)

The meander of the Semois around Bouillon has played a decisive role in the town’s history. Its almost closed curve surrounds the settlement on several sides, providing natural protection. This geographical configuration explains why Bouillon became a strategic site at a very early stage.

The castle, built on a rocky promontory overlooking the meander, was no coincidence. Its elevated position, combined with the river as a natural barrier, made Bouillon a key defensive stronghold from the Middle Ages through the early modern period. The Semois served both as a line of defence and as a route for trade and supplies.

This artwork translates the close relationship between water, rock, and human settlement. The meander is presented not only as a natural curve, but as a structuring element in the landscape and in local history.

Méandre de Frahan

The Frahan meander is one of the most iconic bends of the Semois. Here, the river sweeps broadly through an open and tranquil landscape of water, forest, and village. This setting long supported agriculture and craftsmanship, and Frahan became particularly known for tobacco cultivation.

From the nineteenth century onward, tobacco production played an important role in the valley’s economy. Fertile soils, humid air, and sheltered slopes provided ideal conditions for drying tobacco leaves. The characteristic tobacco-drying barns that can still be found today bear witness to this past activity.

From the heights of Rochehaut, one of the most renowned viewpoints over this meander reveals the river’s elegant curve through the valley. This artwork is inspired by the balance between movement and calm, and by the way the meander shaped both the landscape and daily life along its banks.

Meander of Poupehan

At Poupehan, the Semois meander is strongly defined by the surrounding relief. Steep, forested slopes frame the river, creating a more enclosed and intimate landscape. This section of the valley feels wilder and more restrained than others.

Here, the river was never merely a visual feature. It provided water, fish, and a natural route through otherwise difficult terrain. At the same time, the relief forced human settlement to adapt closely to the river’s curves, resulting in discreet habitation closely connected to nature.

This artwork highlights the dialogue between flowing water and resisting slopes, expressing a gentle tension between movement and constraint.

Meander of the Tombeau du Géant

The Tombeau du Géant meander is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular along the Semois. The river forms an almost complete loop around a massive wooded hill. According to legend, this hill conceals the grave of a giant—a story that has long captured the local imagination.

Beyond legend, the site impresses through the depth of the valley and the way the Semois has carved its path into the landscape over time. This meander powerfully illustrates the force of erosion and the shaping influence of water across millennia.

The artwork offers an abstract interpretation inspired by the site’s monumentality and by the encounter between natural form and myth.

Relief around the Bouillon meander

This artwork does not focus on a single bend of the river, but on the relief surrounding the Bouillon meander. Here, the Semois has deeply incised the Ardennes plateau, forming a landscape of steep slopes, rocky outcrops, and natural terraces.

This relief is essential to understanding the meanders of the region. It determines their shape, scale, and character.By placing the landscape itself at the centre, this artwork reminds us that every meander is the result of a long process in which water, time, and geology are inseparably linked.