When a former wasteland is transformed into a place dedicated to young people, combining sport, nature, culture and art! This is the ambitious renaturation and development project currently being carried out by the municipality of Joinville-le-Pont. The Val-de-Marne town has decided to transform the " derelict" area of the A4 freeway into a new site, dubbed LE SPOT.
Situated beneath the famous road, this long strip of land had become derelict over the years. So the Ile-de-France municipality decided to take action. In the near future, this formerly vast, unused area beneath the viaduct will be home to an open-air gallery dedicated to street art, with 10,000m² of painted surface.
To decorate the various pillars and the long ceiling, 13 street artists from 9 different countries were invited to take part in this project curated by Notorious Brand. Notorious Brand is an urban art production and promotion agency, responsible for numerous frescoes in the Paris region, including in the metro and on the walls of Hôpital Necker. He also organized the Gravity festival for the GoodPlanet Foundation.
While work has already begun under the freeway, we had the opportunity to discover the first five frescoes created by three of the thirteen artists selected and retained by the city. Mouarf from Notorious Brand was on hand to welcome us and introduce us to the works of Spain's Alegria del Prado and Italy's Refreshink. While the former draws its inspiration from nature to create works combining warm colors, mythological animals and ethnic symbols, the latter stands out for its unique"Iconosaik" style.
A little further on, our eye is quickly drawn to Huge's incredible fresco, located just inside SPOT's entrance. The Swedish-born artist is known for his photorealistic helium balloon style. For the project, Huge wrote "LE SPOT" in traditional letters, forming impressive 3D helium balloons.
And this is just the beginning. Over the next few weeks, 10 other street artists will be marching under the (noisy) A4 freeway to give birth to SPOT. Among them? PichiAvo, the famous Spanish-Mexican duo, already present on the site on Tuesday October 29 when we visited. Meanwhile, street artist Astro, who lives in Charenton-le-Pont, will be responsible for painting the entire ceiling under the freeway. As for the talented Portuguese artist Vile, he'll be creating a trompe-l'œil fresco, against a backdrop of local biodiversity. As for the rest, we'll have to wait and see. But one thing's for sure: all artistic styles will be on show for the occasion!
In addition to the artistic aspect, LE SPOT will also unveil an urban forest, with 33,000 new plants between Quai de Polangis and Avenue Jean Estienne d'Orves. The idea? To create an " urban lung" for families and residents of Joinville-le-Pont, as well as local schools, explains Mouarf. What's more, the town is offering families the chance to take part in a large-scale plantation on the site. Don't miss it on November 23 and 24, and December 14 and 15, 2024.
Last but not least, because LE SPOT is dedicated to young people, the Parisian site will also feature sports areas, including a skatepark, a " pump track " for BMX enthusiasts, a " Parkour " area, a climbing course, as well as two 3x3 basketball courts and two 5x5 soccer fields. These sports areas were created by Playgones, a company specializing in the installation of urban sports furniture, with whom Notorious Brand works in close collaboration to harmonize the colors of the modules and fields with the various works of art on the site.
The new sports and leisure area will be open to all. It " embodies the city's strong commitment to the vitality and well-being of its residents. [...] In keeping with the spirit of the times, this new facility is much more than just a place to practice sports: it's a place for sharing and conviviality, conducive to the creation of links between generations and the general public," explains the town on its website.
So, can't wait to discover THE SPOT? Until it opens in spring 2025, you can follow the progress onNotorious Brand's Instagram!
Official website
www.notoriousbrand.fr
More information
Scheduled to open in spring 2025
