An exhibition titled "Demeure" has been installed in the Pantin cemetery, the largest cemetery in Europe, located between Aubervilliers and Pantin, France. Curated by Patrice Chazottes and Inès Massonie, the show features works by about twenty artists, including Andy Warhol, Gaëlle Choisne, Bianca Bondi, Laurent Grasso, and others, many of whom are residents of the Poush artist studio complex in Aubervilliers. The artworks are scattered along a one-kilometer path among 145,000 graves, with pieces ranging from Laurent Grasso's neon lights to Thibault Lucas's sculptures made from cemetery materials, and are free to visit from May 30 to November 15, 2026.
This exhibition matters because it transforms a vast, historic burial ground—created in 1886 and spanning 107 hectares—into an unexpected public art space, encouraging visitors to engage with both art and nature in a setting typically associated with mourning. By placing contemporary works in dialogue with the cemetery's solemn environment, the show challenges perceptions of death and memory, while also highlighting the site's role as a green lung and a place of ritual and wildlife. It exemplifies how art can revitalize unconventional urban spaces and foster community interaction across the Parisian suburbs.