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In recent years, more and more cities have been turning public spaces into creative venues in their own right. Every day, an art mural , or installation reaches passersby who might not otherwise visit a museum, and it can help shape a neighborhood’s identity in a way that its residents can relate to. But for that to happen, the work must speak to those who view it.
Located just outside Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre has a population of approximately 24,500 and has for several years pursued a cultural policy designed to bring art into people’s everyday lives. The town also has a unique feature: it is home to Bicêtre Hospital, part of the AP-HP network, whose staff are just as much a part of the town’s life as its residents.
To bring this project to life, Studio Artera brought together the city and the AP-HP around Quentin DMR, a photographer and visual artist represented by the agency. His artistic practice lent itself naturally to a participatory work: he treats photography as a material, cutting it up and reassembling it to create new images.
Quentin photographed fifteen residents and caregivers, then cut their portraits into strips before reassembling them and layering them on the wall. From these fragments emerged a multifaceted, thousand-faced “ mural ,” in which the features of one person flow into those of another. Its title, *Faces of Kremlin-Bicêtre*, is to be taken literally.
Studio Artera managed the project from start to finish. The agency organized the photo shoots and the creative workshop, handled the printing and installation of the artwork at Place Victor Hugo, and then produced the video documenting the project. At each of these stages, the participants were involved in the artist’s work, and that is why they now recognize the artwork as their own.
It was inaugurated in late September 2026 in the presence of Mr. Lionel Zinciroglu, mayor of Kremlin-Bicêtre.
