Fabrice Hyber's 'L'Artère' at Parc de la Villette Revisited for World AIDS Day

On December 1, 2021, World AIDS Day, artpress republished a 2009 text by writer Philippe Forest reflecting on Fabrice Hyber's public artwork 'L'Artère – Le jardin des dessins' at Parc de la Villette in Paris. Originally inaugurated in 2006, Hyber's 1001 m² ceramic tile puzzle depicted the history of AIDS. In 2021, the artist updated the work by inviting public participation, allowing visitors to draw their own experiences onto the piece. Forest's essay, originally published in his book 'L’art, le réel : quelques remarques faites les pieds au plafond' (Cécile Defaut, 2009) and reissued by Gallimard in 2020, analyzes Hyber's monumental fresco. The text positions 'L'Artère' within art historical traditions, comparing it to prehistoric cave paintings at Lascaux, Roman mosaics, and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, while arguing it functions as an 'anti-monument' to the ongoing AIDS crisis. Forest references thinkers including Kierkegaard, André Malraux, and Susan Sontag to examine how art addresses human suffering. The work's red ribbon form unfolds across the ground like a reversed sky, incorporating scientific symbols, associative actions, and personal memories. Photographs by Édouard Richard (2020) and Bruno Delamain (2018) document the installation's evolution. The republication coincides with the 40th anniversary of the global fight against AIDS and the 15th anniversary of the artwork's inauguration.