discovering the seven works of art of the metro

Freezing cold haunts the Courrouze business district, in Saint-Jacques-de-Lande (Ille-et-Vilaine), south-west of Rennes. The few passers-by are gathered under the bus stops, near a relay car park and the terminus of the new metro line. A man, alone, ventures to the foot of a gray concrete building.

Electronic cigarette in hand, he looks in a cloud of white vapor at a sculpture of four steel modules, in bright colors. “I am always interested in another vision of the world, observes this bus driver. Here, there are people who live, who move. Luckily there are works of art. »

Entitled Ronde, this creation by English artist Philip King is one of the seven works of art chosen by Rennes Métropole for the opening of the new metro line B in September 2022. An artistic commission of two million, out of a project of 1.3 billion euros.

“It’s a proactive policy, which does not fall within the framework of the cultural 1% – not mandatory for transport infrastructure, but in an old tradition of the city driven in the 1980s”, explains Antoine Chaudet, in charge of the community’s visual arts mission.

Minimal communication to preserve discovery

The latter has refrained from any major communication operation around the six works (the seventh will be installed in 2023). The inhabitants therefore discover them as they travel. At Gares station, here is Morvarc’h, Jean-Marie Appriou’s two-headed horse. Installed in June 2021 in front of the SNCF station, it is the mount of Gradlon, legendary king of Brittany, who had the gift of walking on water.

#Inauguration | 🚇 Today, inauguration of 7 works of art positioned on line B of the metro #Rennes.

➡️ The project has obtained support of €250,000 from the State

✅ These works aim to enrich living spaces, and to refine our view of ourselves pic.twitter.com/6SGn0CQ9Ft

– Prefect of Brittany and Ille-et-Vilaine (@bretagnegouv) December 10, 2022

Florence, 65, takes a picture of it with her phone to show it to her family. “This horse is tired, he needs a moment of rest after a long journey. It’s not really an invitation to travel! she exclaims. She asks about the price. Each of the works cost an average of €300,000, studies and development work included. She sighs: “€300,000! It’s excessive! “.

The cold cuts the conversation short. Back in the automatic train. The following work is installed in the tunnel, between Saint-Germain and Sainte-Anne stations. Three one-by-ten meter LED screens show video footage of moving animals. The images are fleeting: the train is traveling at 90 km/h.

“The artist, Charles de Meaux, reinterprets the parietal art of caves”, comments Antoine Chaudet. Alerted by La Croix, Sophie, 29, begins to scan the darkness. A doe appears. ” It’s finish ? she asks. It’s nice, but it goes fast. I will tell my colleagues about it! »

“It changes, I like it a lot”

At Sainte-Anne station, Brazilian artist Camila Oliveira Fairclough has created a work in two parts. A red and blue fresco near the platforms, and a concrete heart of the same color at the entrance. Called Rendez-vous, it refers to a building in Place Sainte-Anne, demolished during the construction of the metro, which featured an advertisement for the Dubonnet aperitif. A well-known landmark in Rennes.

“It’s original, it changes, I like it a lot,” slips Nihad, a 17-year-old high school student, in front of the mural. The cat and the lightning recall the graphic style of Cassandre, designer of the slogan “Duo, Dubon, Dubonnet”. Richard Leroux, a German teacher at the Chateaubriand high school, discovers that the red pillar in front of which he passes every day is actually two-tone, and in the shape of a heart. “It’s a great idea,” he adds. There is a need for art and culture in the public space. »

On the other hand, he spotted the creation of Valentin Carron, at the entrance to his establishment, Joliot-Curie station: the Swiss visual artist redesigned the fence by freehand. The hesitant line evokes the sinuous lines of literary manuscripts. None of the dozen or so students I met paid attention to it. “I didn’t even notice, admits Myrtil, 19, in the second year of veterinary preparation. It is true that it brings a little color to the front of the high school, not very appetizing. »

“Let your imagination run wild”

At the end of the line, northeast of the city, here is the Cesson-Viasilva station. In a setting of offices under construction, a gigantic statue stands opposite the aerial terminus of the metro. The Swiss visual artist Ugo Rondinone has chosen to represent the human figure in its most archaic form: a head, a bust, two legs. The blocks of blue stone, roughly cut, contrast with the modernity of the surrounding buildings.

“It’s a bit like Mr. Potato Head,” remarks Émilie, 36, manager of the nearest restaurant. Orange chasuble on the shoulders, Guillaume Lebastard, 49, spreads cement on a sidewalk. “I’ve only been here today, but I spotted her. I don’t find it bad, he says. I take a few photos, I’ll come back with my camera to take a black and white shot. Of course it’s raw, but you have to let your imagination run wild. Look: with the sunlight, it seems to distinguish the nose. »

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