“The walls we paint are the skin of the residents who live within them. When they feel good within that skin they do not feel the need to harm themselves. They are proud of their walls, and they know that their walls shall protect them.”
Those words were spoken by Gilbert Coudéne, co-founder of CitéCreation, an association here in Lyon dedicated to bringing art back into the consciousness of people by making it more about community participation.
He said them at the end of the
first part of this series of articles in which he explains his reasons for putting his soul and energy into the project.
He continues;
“That’s how we see ourselves today. In other words, the basic idea hasn’t changed since the beginning, and we express it in more or less the same way today. For example the
Paul Bocuse restaurant frescos, called 'La rue des Grands Chefs' are highly representative of Lyon, which is known as the gastronomic capital of France.”
Touchy subject, gastronomy, but I give him my idea on it anyway;
“Yes, but they say that in every big City in the country.”
“I know they do” he says “but Lyon has so many top class chefs, and Bocuse is one of the best-known chefs in the world.”
He’s certainly right. His restaurant here in Lyon is wonderful. Here’s the garden terrace.
With the kind permission of CitéCreation
Garden, Paul Bocuse 3-star Restaurant
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“We exist as a means of helping people to translate the identity of places and cultures into a visual expression of them. This helps people to remember who they are and to be proud of their patrimony, both past and present. We do the painting, but nothing is done without consulting the people of, for example, a housing estate, to ask them what they want to see on their walls. It’s not just a question of doing what City Hall wants. All the institutions are transient, but the people are not. They are what gives a force of identity to a place, so what is done must reflect that.”
A good example of that is this fresco from Vienne, a historical town near Lyon. It is known for its antique theatre and the annual Jazz Festival amongst other cultural events. If you look carefully you can see Molière, Berlioz, Miles Davis, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, all of whom have appeared here dotted around the stage. The illusory 3D effect is stunning..
With the kind permission of CitéCreation
Fresco "Stage", Vienne, France
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“That said, the organisation and logistics are much more complex now because we have developed to the point where we work all over the world. We have done over 470 frescos in all, and they are to be seen from Moscow to Quebec, Shanghai to Berlin. That means that we now have over 70 painters, and are training others all over the world in our techniques.”
I ask him how this development occurred.
“Naturally. We were interested in the world message from the start, particularly after Mexico, but we began by working in other French cities. It’s fascinating to put these projects together, to see them come to life. It’s not a job, it’s part of life, and we want it to be a part of people’s lives too.”
Here’s a good example of how CitéCréations work can change a city in ways that almost defy the imagination. This fresco was done in Biarritz, France, and this is the wall that was chosen for it.
With the kind permission of CitéCréation
Fresco in Biarritz, France "before"
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And here’s the finished result. It’s easy to see how people can be proud of this kind of urban development.
With the kind permission of CitéCréation
Fresco in Biarritz, France "after"
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Aïcha pops in with a message. It seems quite urgent.
“Tell him I’ll ring him later.”
She then gives me a beautiful photo of the Renaissance fresco and leaves us with another smile.
I can’t help asking myself where all the money comes from. I mean, this worldwide organisation, hundreds of frescos, associate organisations in other countries. We’re not talking pocket money here.
“No, you’re right. We have organisations in Quebec, Shanghai, Moscow end Berlin amongst others. We’re currently working to set up a big project with China. You know what? China’s big. Very big. When I went to see a Chinese Culture official to discuss a project, he led me into this massive, and I mean enormous, office. The idea was to train painters in an Art School over there. ‘How many?’ I asked. ‘3000’ he answered. 3000!! Can you believe that? Needless to say, we had to scale things down a little...But we still do many frescos in France, of course”
With the kind permission of CitéCréation
Fresco "Cabanes" Angoulème, France
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On the subject of who pays for the actual frescos, the response is surprising in part.
“City Halls, of course, and various cultural and regional organisations. But also, a substantial part of the funding we get is from companies, like Total, the Feyzin oil refinery, Arkema, a big chemical company and many others. They ask us to paint their perimeter walls, for example. That’s great, because it means that while you’re walking or driving along, you don’t have hundreds of yards of blank concrete or metal. They pay for the copyright of the works too sometimes. Companies also invest in frescos in inhabited areas. You’d be surprised how many there are. Everyone benefits. The people, the image of the area concerned, and the image of the company itself.”
Here’s a fresco on a company building. It makes a change from what we normally see.
With the kind permission of CitéCréation
Fresco on a company wall, France
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So that’s the state of play today. I ask if we can talk about what projects have been realised in other countries, and where the future will take CitéCréation.
“There are lots of projects in other countries. Some beautiful ones too. Including the biggest Fresco in the world, which is in Shanghai. Each one is another rung on the ladder. The ladder that will take us all higher.”
Where to? We’ll look at that question, and at what CitéCréation has done in other countries, in a few days.
In the meantime, here’s a message of hope and peace.
With the kind permission of CitéCréation
Fresco in Mont-Joli, Quebec
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(Photo credits : Pierre Boulat, Étienne Heimermann, Claude Fézoui, Jean-François Basset...
Mural Paintings designed and painted par CitéCréation : citecreation.com
