move along, there’s everything to see
a story bank in Clichy/Montfermeil

“The idea is to create ‘sensitive signage’ that tells the story of the works underway in a city being rebuilt.

All cities undergoing renovation works are dotted with signs announcing work sites, destinations, project owners and other technical data, in a language that lies somewhere between advertisement and administrative memo. Residents often experience these works as the removal of a landmark, a loss whose replacement remains uncertain, or a display of the government’s absolute power.

Yet these projects also conjure up other images in the mind’s eye. As a child, I was very curious about what was going on behind the fence. I would look for holes and gaps to unlock the secret, watch the lorries make the rounds, and imagine myself atop the crane. I would keep up with progress on the works, noticing on my way to school that another floor had been added and smelling the fresh, hot asphalt that would become a street or sidewalk.

The sensitive signage project in Clichy and Montfermeil could help foster that type of vision, allowing residents to travel through their neighbourhood like explorers, to make peace with what is lost and picture themselves atop the crane, watching the city grow. The idea is to start by adding words, signs and marks. Private perspectives and public phrases from Mathieu Simonet and all those he comes across on his linguistic exploration of the city: participants in civic councils and schoolchildren, as well as local residents and commuters. I would interpret these textual materials from a graphic and typographic viewpoint. I might sometimes be led to interact with my words and signs, which would involve finding a pacing, tone and backdrop for these elements in public spaces to reflect the images dreamt up.”

Extracts from the statement of intent