About Pages Blanches
Devised by the collective Bruit du Frigo, the installation Pages Blanches (Blank Pages) features original seating ideas and selections of books that encourage passers-by to relax, delve into a book or even write a few words. The installation develops an aesthetic and a state of mind inspired by the places that actually produce paper, from traditional paper mills to industrial paper manufacturers. It revisits the tools and stages of paper making in various aspects of its settings and visitor comfort. On the ground, a long strip of wood calls to mind the silhouette of the chains that manufacture rolls of paper, with their presses and rollers, reworked into seating options in various postures. In the air, great suspended sheets bring to mind leaves of paper hanging from ceilings in drying rooms, as well as providing shade.
The installation, which covers a total of 714.78 m² reveals itself to be a big straightforward and identifiable space, supported on an underlying tubular structure in metal surrounding a patio conducive to hosting event-based activities and collective displays. The existing fountain is incorporated in the design to provide a touch of freshness in the summer. The street furniture incorporates bookshelves from which locals and tourists can select a book to read during their visit. From logbooks to blank pages, scattered around to encourage writing and drawing and so, as time moves on, create a collective narrative.
