TOP 5: Works of art to be (re)discovered in 2020
What exhibition to see in 2020? Look no further! Paris La Défense is a real open-air museum that renews itself year after year to continue to amaze the regulars of the district, but also the newcomers. After the real estate projects and public spaces, discover our top 5 works of art to be discovered, or to be revisited, in 2020. Follow the guide and open your eyes!
Calder's Red Spider, Mirò's Fantastic Characters... You already know the great works that make Paris La Défense a cultural mecca, but do you know the newcomers? Indeed, Paris La Défense intends to renew its collection and showcase spectacular, poetic works that invite reflection or contemplation. Would you like to discover the five new nuggets scattered around the area? Let's go for it!
Hard to miss, the work, created especially by Benedetto Bufalino for the 2019 edition of Les Extatiques, has since officially joined the Paris La Défense art collection. The artist likes to provoke unexpected encounters between an object and a territory that is a priori incompatible. On the esplanade, the artist therefore decided quite naturally to place... a car! Perched at the top of a 4-metre high mast, it becomes a lamp post and lights up at night. Who said art was boring?
Where: La voiture sur le lampadaire will soon be visible in the Valmy district, between the Spaces building and the Grande Arche.
Walls/installation of Sébastien Preschoux and Vhils
Street art was also in the spotlight in 2019, with the arrival of two murals by Vhils and Sébastien Preschoux. Executed by the two artists for Urban Week, these monumental creations are now on display to the residents of the Jardins de l'Arche.
Sébastien Preschoux's specialty is optical art. Under the artistic direction of Quai 36, the French artist has created "Slinky" which is a combination of two works:
The mural and pictorial work consists of a sequence of colours, shapes and kinetic effects, imagined to artistically accompany the users' journey.
The second work is an installation with taut threads, thought as an immersion where only the movement of the human being makes the material come alive, the work being visible only if the passer-by raises his eyes.
Vhils' work for Paris La Défense is part of his emblematic project entitled "Scratching the Surface". It shows two anonymous faces harmoniously complemented by geometric motifs. The artist's ambition is to appeal to passers-by and humanize the neighbourhood.
Where: These works are located in the Arche Gardens, a stone's throw from the Ieseg.
Created for the 2018 edition of Les Extatiques, Banc public is a work by Lilian Bourgeat. A true master of the game of ladders, the artist transforms our perception of space by growing the objects of our daily lives. So don't worry if you come face to face with an oversized bench on your way to the Takis basin. 1.50 metres high, 2 metres long and a question: what is the place of Man turned insect facing his own creations? Those who haven't yet tested its seating and the incredible view it offers will have plenty of time to do so!
Where: This unusual bench is located on the esplanade of La Défense and near the Bassin de Takis.
Beautiful View #1
Breathtaking view guaranteed... Well, if you make a little effort of imagination! Sabrina Lang and Daniel Baumann, two Swiss artists involved in public art, offer us a mini grandstand with 4 seats positioned at the top of a 22-metre mast. Literally out of reach, this humorous and poetic work of art is sure to make you look up.
Where : The work can be seen on the Terrasses de l'Université in Nanterre, facing the axis Jetty - Grande Arche - Arc de Triomphe.
Tomorrow, new artistic commissions will undoubtedly accompany the projects of Paris La Défense. In the meantime, come and discover the furniture of Forme Publique !
**To be continued: Our top 5 good deeds to do in 2020.
