Toulouse. Art in the Palais de Justice metro station
The Palais-de-Justice station is located at the very beginning of Grande rue Saint-Michel. It is underground and has two entrances placed on each side of the street. The artwork in the lobby was created by a collective of Slovenian artists as part of the Irwin Group. It represents four resin carpets, corresponding to 4 x 3 meters each, lined up two by two, and coming from four cultures renowned for their carpets: Turkey, Arab countries, African countries and South America. The whole forms a large luminous rectangle, on which appears, one above the other the motto of France the words Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, fundamental principles of the French Constitution, as well as the name of the station “Palais de Justice”.
The choice of a material like the carpet was made for several reasons: it evokes the ground, the home, but also movement (if we think of the myth of the flying carpet). The cultural diversity of the four mats also evokes that of metro users. The aesthetic dimension of this installation is clearly assumed. “The rugs are beautiful, of good quality, and the whole forms a shimmering picture”, enthuses Antoinette as she passes in front of the work. The set is placed on the wall facing the staircase. It extends over two levels.