Frédéric Saulou

France

For several months, the designer Frédéric Saulou worked on the Parisian territory to exchange with local actors and create unique pieces using Meulière stone - a local stone emblematic of Paris, which was extracted from the construction site of line 18 of the future metro. of the Grand Paris Express. In the past, this stone was used to grind wheat in the region and for the construction of houses in the old Parisian countryside. “Pierre d’ici” questions the relationship between matter in space and its origin, between the earth and its extraction, in the context of the construction site of the Grand Paris Express.

This set of furniture refers to the territory in full mutation between the historical context of the site and urbanization. Archaeological excavations have uncovered traces of man dating from the 5th to the 1st century BC, from the second Iron Age. Today, on this same territory, excavations have given way to other sites, such as the metro. The different pieces presented refer to these changing universes, both through the types of furniture used and in the use of the materials used. Meulière stone was recovered from the construction sites of line 18 of the future Grand Paris Express metro, a local resource whose quarries are now closed and are becoming difficult to exploit. The associated metal, a major element in the implementation of a construction site, symbolizes the link between the past and the present. It highlights the stone material and confirms the function of the object. The project is part of the landscape, both a vector of history and meaning. It also has made it possible to develop a common reflection around sustainability and the enhancement of local resources.