Post 60. Le Havre 6. Street Art and Monet@MuMa
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| Catène de Containers on Quai de Southampton |
Let's start with the street art.
Le Havre has changed in countless ways since 1987, but one of the most striking transformations is its embrace of contemporary art. Much of it is outdoors, free and now woven into the fabric of the city. We decided to start with the street art before heading indoors to MuMa.
The Catène de Containers (above) has become one of the new iconic images of Le Havre on social media - two interconnected arches made from brightly painted shipping containers welded together. Standing on Quai de Southampton, it symbolises the gateway between the city and the port.
It really is a beautiful contemporary installation. Like a lot of the street art in the city, it started as a temporary exhibit, built as part of the "Un Été au Havre" summer festival in 2017 to celebrate Le Havre's 500th birthday, but it proved so popular that it has now become permanent.
It weighs almost 288 tonnes, and its highest point reaches 28.5 metres above the ground. Its name comes from the Latin word "catena", meaning "chain" - a nod both to its construction technique (inspired by Gaudí) and the shipping "supply chain".
UP#3
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| UP#3 on the beach |
UP#3 is a pure white structure that rises from the pebbles and stands out against the horizon. It is perfectly in line with the axis of Avenue Foch and the Porte Océane. Located on the beach, this huge structure has become another firm favourite on social media. It seems to embody the architecture of the city as it battles the constant onshore winds and waves.
La Maison des Rêves 2612
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| La Maison des Rêves 2612 |
To the casual passer-by, this telephone box looks like one they forgot to remove when they were getting rid of them. In fact, it was built for this year's festival. It mimics the style of the old cabine téléphonique, but also the exact scale and style of a Perret building. Pick up the purple receiver inside and you hear local AI-generated voices of Le Havre locals - a very playful blend of nostalgia and medernity.
Gold Coast
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| Gold Coast, opposite MuMa |
Part of the sea wall of rocks opposite MuMa has been turned into shiny gold nuggets. The "precious stones" were first covered with gold leaf and then painted over with several layers of acrylic to protect them from the waves. The installation plays with the idea of infinite wealth - gold as a symbol of durability in uncertain economic times.
Jusqu'au Bout du Monde
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| Jusqu'au Bout du Monde |
Jusqu'au Bout du Monde (Till the Ends of the Earth) is a massive sculpture of the artist Fabien Mérelle carrying his own daughter on his shoulders. They are looking out at the horizon and the ships that cross it. It is positioned so that they look directly towards New York, once linked to Le Havre by the transatlantic line. It is a beautiful , quiet reminder of journeys, connections, and the pull of distant places.
Sur le motif - Monet's View Reimagined
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Just a few metres from the spot where Claude Monet painted Impression, soleil levant on 13 November 1872, at 7:35 a.m., sits one of Le Havre's newest and most intriguing art installations. Sur le motif, gives people the chance to experience Monet's original viewpoint. It was commissioned this year for a major exhibition at MuMa, celebrating the centenary of the artist's death.
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| Today's harbour, reflected in the mirror |
Sur le motif is like a giant periscope, with a circular mirror positioned at a height of 7.14 metres above the ground, corresponding to Monet's eye level from the second-floor balcony of the now-destroyed Hôtel de l'Amirauté. Look up, and you see today's harbour reflected back at you, encouraging a comparison between the modern port and Monet's original scene. Thanks to Florence for the photo.
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| Seven dates over the next 100 years |
Then, on the ground below your feet, an engraved plaque lists the seven dates over the next hundred years when, on 13 November at the same moment, the tide will be at the same height. It is a lovely interactive blend of art, history and science.
Indoor Art: Monet@MuMa
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| Poster for the major Claude Monet exhibition |
This seems like a good time to move indoors, to the André Malraux Museum of Modern Art (MuMa), which hosted the Monet au Havre exhibition all summer, focusing on the artist's early years in Le Havre.
On my last visit, MuMa featured another local artist who I much prefer, Raoul Dufy, but on this occasion only one of his paintings was on display to make room for the Monets. So, before we move on, here it is:
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| Raoul Dufy |
The exhibition contained hundreds of early sketches, drawings and paintings by Monet. These carefully curated pieces were really only for die-hard fans of his work, so I mostly gave them a wide berth in favour of the more recognisable works - several of these are below (photography was allowed).
A City Transformed by Art
When I lived here in 1987, I would never have thought of Le Havre as a city famous for its art. True, it had MuMa, but it was still in its infancy. Today, the transformation is remarkable. Most of the street art is free and easy to find on a walk along the seafront, and it is well worth taking a few hours to explore it. Add in a visit to MuMa - and soon the new modern art gallery being developed in the old ferry terminal - and there is more than enough to keep you busy for a day or two. If interested, all current and past art installations from the ten years of Un Été au Havre can be found at https://www.uneteauhavre.fr/
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