JR and Chef Yannick Alléno Cover Paris Bridge with Portraits of Road Death Survivors

From September 13 to 14, 2025, the Pont d'Iéna in Paris will be covered with 1,330 portraits of family members of road traffic victims, in a project titled "Alive – Rendons visibles les invisibles" by French street artist JR and Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno. The initiative stems from the 2022 death of Alléno's 24-year-old son Antoine, who was struck and killed by a driver of a stolen car. Alléno subsequently founded the Antoine Alléno association to advocate for road safety law reform. The installation features not the victims themselves, but their surviving relatives and first responders, shifting focus to the enduring impact on families. After the commemorative ceremony, the portraits will be torn down as a symbolic gesture against collective oblivion. The work is planned to travel to other French cities. Road accidents are the leading cause of death among young adults in France, with about 700 under-24s dying each year. Separately, on July 10, 2025, a new road homicide offense was published in the French Official Journal, a result of the association's lobbying. The law imposes up to 10 years in prison and a €150,000 fine for causing death while driving under the influence of drugs or without a license, replacing the generic charge of manslaughter with a clear distinction for willfully dangerous conduct.