Caroline le Méhauté, winner of the Transformative Territories mention of the COAL 2024 Prize, completed the second phase of her research-creation residency at Parti Poétique within the Transformative Territories programme. From May to July 2024, she produced her artwork with the help of several students from the UFR Arts Plastiques at Paris 8 University, who assisted her throughout the construction process.

A week-long seminar at Zone Sensible allowed the Paris 8 students to meet the farm’s key stakeholders—those contributing to the transformation of this space, including Caroline. The artist became deeply embedded in the social and territorial fabric, drawing on the imagination of diverse audiences.

Steps in Creating the Artwork

May 2024: Mold-making and Brick Production
Caroline le Méhauté began by constructing molds and producing the 250 bricks needed for the artwork. An experimental phase led to the creation of a brick model composed of low-nutrient “dead” excavation soil, powdered clay, and straw.

The excavation soil was carefully sieved by Caroline and her team to remove gravel that could compromise the bricks’ structural quality and hinder the growth of embedded plants. The materials were then mixed to form a dense, malleable paste that dried without cracking or disintegrating.

Most of the 250 bricks were made collectively during workshops focused on crafting raw earth bricks. These sessions introduced participants to traditional molding techniques while building on insights from earlier trials. The initial bricks, densely packed and heavy, served as the artwork’s foundation. Later bricks were less compacted, lighter, and designed to house phytoremediating plant seeds.

At the end of the molding workshops, each brick was carefully placed on wooden boards, marked with grooves for better adhesion, and left to dry in the sun. The 35m² plot for the artwork was pruned, levelled, and prepared for construction.

Testing and Construction
On-site, Caroline tested a natural mortar made from clay, sieved soil, and sand to ensure proper adhesion between the bricks. The construction began on July 24, 2024, with the first brick laid. Over a week in September, all bricks were assembled and joined. The upper layers were hollowed out to plant phytoremediating seeds.

Participatory Building Workshops

Caroline le Méhauté and her team organised eight participatory workshops to create raw earth bricks, engaging more than 120 participants. These workshops were an opportunity to share knowledge about traditional earth construction techniques and phytoremediating plants.

The workshops included:

• May 22: With the 110 socio-cultural centre
• May 25: Open to the public (Festoyons event)
• May 29: With the Fée Main association
• June 15: Open to the public (Pour la vie event)
• June 25: With Barbara College, Stains
• July 17: With the Saint-Denis child psychiatry unit
• July 18: With Joli Café and APCIS
• July 20: Open to the public (Frite Party event)

During these sessions, Caroline presented her residency’s purpose, the stakes of phytoremediation, and the context of creating her artwork at Zone Sensible. She introduced participants to the tools and materials: wooden brick molds, and a mix of “dead” excavation soil from a Vendée quarry, sand, clay, and straw.

Each workshop began with a technical demonstration, showing how to fill a brick mold with soil using fingers, then gently compacting it with fists or palms. Participants were then encouraged to make bricks themselves, gaining hands-on experience.

Caroline le Méhauté’s artwork, titled Négociation 158 – Les Utopies Réalisées, was unveiled to the public on September 21, 2024, during the Le Grand Partage event.

Photo credits: © Parti Poétique – Zone Sensible

Follow the progress of various projects on the Parti Poétique website.