Colas Foundation unveils a fresco by the artist JBC at L'Île-Saint-Denis
On Wednesday 4 December 2024, the fresco ‘Le long de la Seine’ (Along the Seine) was inaugurated at the Colas site in L'Île-Saint-Denis. Created by the artist Jean-Baptiste Colin, alias JBC, this work is part of the Colas Foundation's urban art program, which aims to transform the Group's sites into vectors of urban art.
Completed in three weeks, this fresco measuring 2.5 meters high and 64 meters long depicts the gentle way of life on the banks of the river through the ages, evoking navigation, built heritage and ecology. The work underlines the importance of preserving our natural heritage, while offering passers-by a moment of calm and serenity as they stroll along the Seine, bringing together the past and the present.
"The idea was to give back to the commune of L'Île-Saint-Denis a little of what it has given us, by taking advantage of the Paris Olympic Games to promote our heritage. This project reflects Colas’ local roots and its desire to play a part in beautifying the Ile-de-France region", explains Rémi Kuchly, Managing Director of Colas France's Île-de-France-Normandie region.
"I'm proud to have contributed to showcasing the heritage of L'Île-Saint-Denis through this fresco. This project was made possible thanks to the trust that Colas and the Mairie de L'Île-Saint-Denis have placed in me", says JBC, the artist behind the work.
"Involved since 2018 in preserving France's heritage through its urban art program, the Colas Foundation is committed to making artistic works inspired by the areas they embellish accessible to all", adds Delphine Lombard, the administrator of the Foundation.
In recent years, a number of artistic projects have been launched to enhance Colas' industrial sites. The most recent, dating from 2021, is a monumental fresco painted on a factory of the Group in Mérignac by the Monkeybird Collective.
