In the 1960’s, Ivry-sur-Seine – a south-eastern Parisian suburb– was the theater of a groundbreaking social housing operation, in which architect and urban planner Renée Gailhoustet, together with Jean Renaudie, designed an architecture deeply anchored in socialist values of communal living and social equity. The generous space dedicated in their buildings to urban ecosystems on the many public and private terraces makes it an example of resilient, ecological and foremost deeply social architecture today.

In May 2023, we conducted an artistic investigation in Ivry-Sur-Seine to experience the life of the neighbourhood and its inhabitants, in cooperation with local initiatives Jardin à tous les étages (Ivry) & Arch'Ivry. The research focus was set on the different forms of care that inhabitants are enacting towards the spaces they inhabit. Through workshops, visits, and informal gathering, we collected stories, secrets, and personal experiences of the residents of Ivry, which we wove into three fictional stories that describe everyday – yet unconventional – practices towards this unique architecture. The short-films were shot together with neighbors and interwoven into a 3-channel video installation.

The video installation “Ivry-Affaires” was designed to be projected in public space in the atrium of Centre Jeanne Hachette (Ivry-sur-Seine), where it was shown in September 2023. “Ivry-Affaires” was also shown in Berlin Haus der Statistik in October 2023 and as part of the Under Pressure exhibition in September 2024.

sept.-oct. 2023,
Ivry-sur-Seine (France)
3-channel video installation in public space

“Ivry-Affaires” est le résultat d’une résidence de 3 semaines à Ivry-sur-Seine, où nous avons travaillé en étroite collaboration avec les associations Ivryennes jardins à tous les étages et Arch'Ivry en Mai 2023.

À travers des ateliers, des visites et des moments informels de convivialité, nous avons recueilli les histoires, les secrets et les expériences personnelles des habitant·e·s d’Ivry, que nous avons tissés dans 3 histoires fictives décrivant des pratiques quotidiennes - mais non conventionnelles - liées à la ville.

Le résultat est l’installation vidéo à trois canaux “Ivry Affaires”, qui fut montrée dans l'espace public du Centre Jeanne Hachette d’Ivry au cours des journées du Patrimoine (16.09.2023)  ainsi qu’à Berlin en Septembre 2023 et Septembre 2024. Le but de cette installation est de transmettre des impressions, de déclencher l'imagination et de créer un lien entre deux métropoles Européennes confrontées à des défis similaires en termes de développement urbain.