Guillaume Bottazzi - Paris’ La Defense District : Art Weekenders

The Home to the Largest Open-Air Contemporary Art Space in France

As soon as we step out of the metro into the bright sunlight La Grande Arche is rising in front of us. The structure measuring 110 meters in height, width and depth is the landmark of Paris’ business district, La Defense. A landmark that connects with one of Paris’ other landmarks, the Arc de Triomphe, in one straight line via the Champs-Elysées, which is pretty well visible on this bright spring day when we decided to spend some time a bit outside the hustle and bustle of the city centre.The main draw for us to visit La Defense this time around in the French capital is – besides the modern architecture – the art route running through it, which we were alerted to by the artist Guillaume Bottazzi, of whom an artwork was revealed here a bit earlier this year. His work is the 7oth addition to what is claimed to be the largest open-air contemporary art space in France.The art route including works of world-famous artists like Calder and Miró now consists of 70 – mostly – contemporary art works and runs through the whole area encompassing some 5.6 million square meters. The route is an ambitious project which was initiated already in 1958 – at the commencement of the modernization of the La Defense area, where previously factories, shanties and, yes, even some farms were situated – and is meant to expand even more. Where you’ll find some of the art works on La Defense’s main square, others are somewhat more hidden in between the skyscrapers, ensuring its visitor to explore areas off the regular La Defense track...