“sur les fondations du passé” is an attempt to unweave the layers of time and to make visible the presence of humanity on the grounds of Arles only parking garage.

Here stands a pyramid, built with layers of steel and concrete to hold hundreds of cars. Over the course of one week, I discover further layers that shape the history of the site—yet remain invisible in everyday life.

Old aerial photographs show a sprawling park that had to make way for the construction of the parking garage. Beneath it: 3,900 m² of archaeological remains from pre-roman times. The parking garage was subsequently built on stilts with the aim of making the remains accessible to the public. To this day, however, the entrances remain blocked off, the souterrain a dark, deserted place.

What remains visible is a pyramid-shaped parking garage.

“sur les fondations du passé” was created during a one-week workshop with Julien Pebrel at the Rencontres d’Arles and exhibited on August 18 at the Croisière Cultural Center.