On July 6, the Colas Group’s Aquitaine Matériaux Enrobés plant (AME) unveiled a monumental fresco painted by Monkeybird, a collective represented by the Paris-based H Gallery. This original work was backed by the Colas Foundation, as part of its program to help promote urban art on the Group's industrial facilities.

Monkeybird, a collective of two artists from Bordeaux, completed the mural in three weeks’ time. The work portrays a family of black and white storks combined with spheres that recall the passing of time and golden architectural plans. Everyone is very happy with the superbly graphic mural, from the Colas Foundation, to the employees at the plant, even the city council of Mérignac, a suburb of Bordeaux where the plant is located.

"We are proud that the AME plant in Mérignac was chosen to host a fresco painted by artists from the area. The project highlights our ties with the local community and our desire to help make the region more beautiful", explains Boris Ursat, COO, Colas France – West.

“It was very exciting for us to paint the fresco at the AME plant in Mérignac with the Colas Foundation and H Gallery. The sheer size of the plant made it possible for us to imagine a mural that could be both monumental and airy. Storks are migratory birds capable of traveling great distances, so we thought we should paint these majestic birds in homage to those who create our roads and open paths for millions of people. We also wanted to work with an idea
of movement, of action. The birds are in four positions: flight, landing, rest, and battle. The shapes in the background are reminiscent of cogs, as a nod to the mechanical aspects of industry,” explain the members of Monkeybird.

Since it was founded in 1990, the Colas Foundation has promoted contemporary painting through a number of initiatives, including the Urban Art program launched in 2018, which invites artists to create works of art on production and operating sites.

Several projects have already been completed, such as the Servant Concrete Plant in Villeneuve-les-Béziers transformed into a "Concrete Cathedral" by BREZ and the three silos of the SPME site in Bonneuil-sur-Marne by ALFE.

“The challenges posed by urbanization are at the heart of what Colas does. It is natural for our contemporary art foundation to help bring urban art into the Group's facilities, with the help of talented artists", underlines Delphine Lombard, Director of the Colas Foundation.