A village under black paint
Historic stone buildings entirely covered โ the contrast is the work.
thierry ehrmann from Saint Romain au Mont d'Or, France, Europe โ CC BY 2.0 ยท thierry ehrmann from Saint Romain au Mont d'Or, France, Europe โ CC BY 2.0 ยท thierry ehrmann from Saint Romain au Mont d'Or, France, Europe โ CC BY 2.0 ยท thierry ehrmann from Saint Romain au Mont d'Or, France, Europe โ CC BY 2.0
No. Opening days are limited, the hours are unusual and they change; this is not a museum on regular hours but a private property partly opened to visitors. Check the official site before your trip โ travelling out of Lyon to find it closed costs half a day.
Opinion is divided, and that is part of the story. The commune fought a long legal battle to have it removed as a breach of building and heritage rules in a protected village, while others regard it as an important work. If you visit, respect the village around it: it is a quiet residential area, not an extension of the artwork.
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A vast open-air artwork north-west of Lyon: a complex of historic stone buildings entirely covered in black paint, lettering, metal sculpture and the wreckage of cars and aircraft. The project was begun in 1999 by the businessman Thierry Ehrmann, and its idea is to depict a world after catastrophe: September 11th, wars and financial crises, painted, written and assembled onto the walls of a quiet village. The result is visually shocking and is meant to be. The place was the subject of a long legal dispute with the local authority, which held it in breach of building and heritage rules and demanded its removal. The court battle ran for years and has become part of the work's own identity. Practical points: it opens to visitors on limited days and on a ticket, with unusual hours โ check before going. The site is outside Lyon and needs a car or public transport. The content includes violent imagery and explicit political material, so it is not suitable for young children.
Historic stone buildings entirely covered โ the contrast is the work.
Smashed cars and aircraft mounted on the walls as sculptural elements.
Years of litigation with the authorities became part of the work's identity.
Saint-Romain-au-Mont-d'Or, north-west of Lyon