She takes her name from a legendary figure, bears the silhouette of a sail billowed by the wind, and for a while was a sporting challenge. In Évry-Courcouronnes, in the Essonne, the Dame du Lac is one of those Paris‑region curiosities that can intrigue. It isn’t every day you get to climb a work of art, and in the past this sculpture was a meeting point for climbing enthusiasts.
Located in the Parc du Lac, the Dame du Lac is a work by Pierre Székely, a Hungarian-born artist. It rises to about 17 meters and features channels, openings, overhangs, and platforms. Inaugurated in 1975, within the context of the new town of Évry, it stems from a commission tied to the 1 % artistique, the scheme that earmarks a portion of public construction budgets for artistic creation.
Pierre Székely wasn’t the kind to imagine art as an untouchable object; on the contrary, his work often questioned how people can inhabit, move through, or engage with a work. Here, the idea is pushed to the extreme: the sculpture becomes a true “vertical stadium.”
The work was also conceived in dialogue with the boulders of the Fontainebleau Forest, a landmark in climbing within the Île-de-France. The involvement of the Italian alpinist Guido Magnone in shaping the holds and the routes makes it clear that this wasn’t just a backdrop, but a sporting piece as much an artistic one.
As safety standards evolved, access to it is now prohibited, the practice deemed too dangerous. It remains a vestige, a pioneering sport in its own right, and a symbol of functional art, which has earned it the designation of Patrimoine d'Intérêt Régional.
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Location
Parc de la Dame du Lac
2 Avenue du Lac
91080 Courcouronnes
