Long live the wind - Michel Deverne

How can certain essential urban functions be diverted into artistic media? In 1986, Michel Deverne gave a brilliant demonstration of this by decorating the ventilation chimneys, located on avenue André Prothin, with a superb glazed stoneware ceramic, evoking the rhythm of the wind.

Other artworks from the La Défense collection are also based on ventilation chimneys:

• Mosaïque* ;
• Cheminée végétalisée by Édouard François ;
• Le Moretti by Raymond Moretti ;
• Les Trois Arbres by Guy-Rachel Grataloup ;
• Cheminées by Philolaos Tloupas.

A word about the artist

Born in 1927, Deverne developed his activity as a visual artist in architecture and the city. Using aluminium and concrete in particular, he works for France and abroad. His creations can be admired in many public places, such as the mosaics decorating the façades of buildings in Colombes, the steel sculpture of the Grand Place de la Poste Centrale in Avignon, or the steel relief of the BNP building in Tokyo. Deverne's approach is in line with kinetic art, giving the illusion of movement by juxtaposing identical elements. In this way, he creates an optical illusion for the viewer who is watching while moving.