Marie Khouri's Calligraphic Sculpture Transforms Arabic Script at Villers-Cotterêts

Marie Khouri's installation "J'aime / أنا أحب / I Love" has been installed at the Cité internationale de la langue française in the château de Villers-Cotterêts, as part of the Saison Méditerranée 2026. The work, previously shown in Cairo, Beirut, Vancouver, and at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, consists of five modules forming the Arabic word "Baheb" (I love) with its three letters and two punctuation marks. The sculptures blur the line between art and design, inviting visitors to sit or lie on them. Paul Rondin, site administrator, notes that the organic curves soften the Renaissance palace's architectural rigor. The château itself is historically significant: François I signed the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts there in 1539, making French the official language of law and administration. The Cité internationale de la langue française opened in November 2023 after three years of restoration by the Centre des monuments nationaux. The installation is on view until November 1.