L'Artère - le Jardin des Dessins

You are standing on a sprawling, thousand-square-meter puzzle of ceramic tiles that forms a permanent outdoor installation called L Artère, or the Artery. Designed by French artist Fabrice Hyber and inaugurated on World AIDS Day in two thousand six, the work is shaped like a giant, loosened red ribbon, which serves as the international symbol for the fight against HIV and AIDS. The artist chose this form to symbolically untie the knots of tension, stigma, and silence that have surrounded the epidemic for decades. The artwork functions as both a memorial to those lost to the disease and a living space that encourages movement and conversation. Because the tiles are set directly into the ground, the space is frequently used by visitors for everyday activities like skateboarding or practicing tai chi, effectively blending public art into the daily life of the park. Fabrice Hyber embedded hundreds of original drawings into the ceramic surface, creating a visual narrative that explores the human body and the history of the medical struggle against the virus. He deliberately chose this accessible, open format so that the site would remain a work in progress, mirroring the evolving nature of both the epidemic and the scientific response to it.