An unusual visit to the heart of the Tour aux figures in the Parc de l'île Saint Germain

The exterior work

The 24-metre-high Tour aux figures isenthroned in the heart of the Ile Saint-Germain park on the outskirts of Paris. With its vivid colors, it is one of the major works in Jean Dubuffet'sHourloupe cycle. All over its skin, tracings interlock, giving rise to bodies and faces, "human" and "non-human" figures. On the south side, the figure of a full-length woman appears, while on the north side, two heads are superimposed. Elsewhere, the shapes form other figures, uncertain and fleeting, which come and go as the eye wanders.

The inner workings of Gastrovolve

The tower offers visitors a rare experience: a second, hidden work that can be visited. Entitled Gastrovolve by the artist, the interior of the tower evokes the rotation and visceral intimacy of an organism. Visitors are invited to experience an astonishing interior labyrinth: its walls, painted with black lines on a white background, are revealed in fragments. Visitors walk on the painted floor, up and down a few steps, without ever seeing the whole. For the artist, the Gastrovolve encourages the reverie of the solitary walker and allows visitors to enter into the images, to become actors in them.

In this windowless edifice, the 117-meter-long ascent is reminiscent of a mountain walk, cut by landings and ramps leading sinuously to a high room at the summit.

The discovery area

With the aim of making Jean Dubuffet's work accessible to all, an inclusive and freely accessible discovery area has been set up in the large hall of the Ile Saint-Germain park, close to the Tower. This space offers both an in-depth tour of the Tower and alternative tools for those who can't or don't want to visit.

A photographic exhibition accompanied by educational panels and tactile models provides an insight into the art of Jean Dubuffet and his strange tower. One screen shows a video introducing the history of the work, its construction and restoration constraints, while another allows a virtual visit. A children's play area with games and bibliographical resources for older children is open to all.

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