1984, Olivier Tarabo starts his third year at the school of the Beaux-Arts of Rouen and continues a plastic research task around the topic of alchemy. The access to certain documents of files reinforces its interest for the subject which quickly becomes the basic element of its work. It is the discovery of old texts, transcribed in French phonemes of Hebrew, Latin or the Greek who will create the bases of the Rosa-Crvx concept. These texts seem, by a certain rhythmic tendency, to be sung at their time. It is at least the conclusion which will be drawn. An extraordinary lexicon of words, cabalistic formulas and pagan prayers is updated. Begin then what will become a true collection on the subject. The Clavicles of Solomon, the Small Albert and the Large Albert, Motus Liber, the Twelve doors of G Ripley, belong to the bedside books.

In his work, Olivier concentrates on the human body and starts a research on the transformation. Transformation of the states of the body, but also of materials, the elements, etc. A parallel research on Teratology (study of the human monsters), on the momification (mummies of Palermo), and on all that the cultures or nature comprises of variations on the transformation of the human body. Olivier intensely follows courses of anthropology, philosophy and psychoanalysis to the Rouen ability to extend his fields of research.

Olivier changes also, here for the turning of a video test on the topic "Aglon" or "to fly away like a corbel" according to a esoteric formula of XVIème century:
"Aglon Tetagram, Vaïcheon, Stimvlamanthon, Eroares, Retragsamanton, Clioram i Sion, Erasim Möyn Meffias Sotter, Eriona Onera,  Existien Existien, Emmanuel Sabbaoth."

Graphics discovered will influence the design used for Rosa-Crvx, the texts become elements of drawing and are distributed in all dimensions. It is in the magic squares that this technique of page-setting was exploited for the first time. The texts take a different reading according to their place in the page and find relations arithmetic and symbolic systems with the elements which surround them. This principle, today frequently used in the advertising campaigns is a first step towards the subliminal message.

This concept will be included in the plastic research task. The body will be placed in drawn spaces revealing the environment like element integrated into the covered subjects. The concept of performance then will appear quickly: a space being given, a subject chosen, all the elements are joined together to prepare an action.

A plaster moulding of the body of Olivier is suspended here on the top of a geometrical figure traced on the ground. The drawing is soaked with gasoline and will be ignited, the dress of the "mannequin" will be also ignited. Transformation by fire/Sublimation.

The same performance will be reproduced in various places, here in the center of Rouen,
the enclosure of a masonry devastated by a fire a few years before.

Parallel to the destruction of the body, a work on its conservation is continued. A matter is required aiming at reproducing human skin, with the same reactions to drying, the same aptitudes to be wrinkled, same texture, same weight etc… This matter is discovered at the end of one year and will give rise to several work.

On the walls of the workshop: skins, wicks of hair and fragments various.

"Skin"/120cm X 75cm.

Relics, Reliquae, remainders: What remains human body by extension. Traces of lives. Last traces of the body which is not destroyed with time. Memories of somebody, last remains of a life passed, matérialisation of the memory. November 5, celebrates Relics

Manufacture of a body momifié starting from a skeleton and matter skin.

The alive skin will be also worked, drawn, written…

The image of the body will be also worked. A mirror, reflection of the present, will be broken, reassembled and gone up tallies about it to become a deforming mirror. This work will be the source of a series of self-portraits of which one of them will become one of the principal logos of Rosa-Crvx.

Products of oxidation of metals for the treatment of surfaces composing the "Mirror"

Self-portraits photographed through the "Mirror".

This research always continues. It gave rise to the "Sets of Irons" and to the group "Rosa-Crvx" in collaboration with Claude Feeny.