France replaces its advertising with works of art

Le déjeuner sur l’herbe by Manet instead of a McDonald's billboard? For a week now, 32 French municipalities have been participating in the cultural initiative called Beauty Will Save the World, referencing a passage from Dostoevsky's The Idiot. The initiative, born during the Covid crisis in 2021 in the small town of Saint-Dizier, Haute-Marne, originally aimed to make art accessible to all by integrating it into public spaces at a time when cultural venues such as museums were closed due to social distancing measures. Building on its success, 32 municipalities, from small entities like Neuvy-sur-Barangeon with 1,000 residents to larger ones like Aix-en-Provence with 150,000, have joined the campaign for its fourth edition. Participating towns include Béthune, Bourges, Châteauroux, Saint-Raphaël, Puteaux, and Meudon.

These municipalities pledge to replace advertising panels—including bus stops, public transport, shop windows, public buildings, and even construction tarps—with reproductions of high-resolution artworks, transforming the streets into open-air museums until December 8. For example, in Laval, the mayor decided to replace bus advertisements with paintings by Monet, Van Gogh, and Renoir. "These are traveling works of art," said Mayor Florian Bercault, who decided to take part in the initiative. "We are fortunate to be the birthplace of Douanier Rousseau, so we focused on painters of his era, exhibited at the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée de l'Orangerie," explained Laval's mayor. This year's theme is "Light in Art." Among the selected masterpieces, we find The Starry Night by Van Gogh, Arearea by Gauguin, and The Skiffs by Caillebotte displayed on various streets. This ambitious project was made possible through a partnership with the Grand Palais Rmn, which provided these photographic reproductions.

The elected officials of the participating municipalities seem delighted by this original initiative. "This project allows us to democratize access to art in our area, showcasing our artistic heritage—mostly visible in Paris—on an innovative medium for everyone," said Lucie Saëz, deputy mayor of Baulon, a town of 2,000 inhabitants. "Aubervilliers asserts its right to beauty. This beauty, accessible to all, reflects our diversity and serves as a powerful social bond," explained Karine Franclet, mayor of this Seine-Saint-Denis commune. The initiative’s goal, to beautify the streets, deserves attention in a society constantly bombarded by advertisements. It is also a wonderful opportunity to discover classic paintings. An association will be established in 2025 to ensure the project's sustainability and to expand it to other municipalities.