I LOVE LYON – A ready-made vision of public space

Presented in 2006 and 2007 on Place Bellecour, the installation I LOVE LYON follows the tradition of the ready-made: it uses as raw material a public space already loaded with history and symbolism. The equestrian statue of Louis XIV, a masterpiece by Lemot and an unmissable landmark of Lyon, here becomes a ready-to-use object, transformed from its austere 19th-century dignity.

The artistic act is not to create a work ex nihilo, but to reveal and recontextualise this familiar monument. By enclosing it in a monumental snow globe, the installation plays with the collective imagination of the kitsch and universal souvenir, turning a fixed symbol into a poetic, caricatural and magical object.

I LOVE LYON demonstrates that public space itself can be treated as an artistic material: a living canvas, traversed by daily life but also by tourist and identity-driven narratives. This direct appropriation of heritage acts as a playful and critical mirror of the city, offering residents and visitors a new perspective on the location.

Now iconic, the work left a lasting impression at the time of its presentation, to the point that it returns today in a festival gathering the “Best Of” installations since the beginning. Its symbolic and popular impact earned it the Audience Award 2025, confirming the timeless strength of this simple but powerful artistic gesture.

The installation received the Grand Audience Award, given to the most appreciated work of the festival.