Street artist Seth has installed a monumental artwork titled "Marianne rêve" on the colonnade of the Palais-Bourbon, the seat of the French National Assembly in Paris. The installation, visible from June 16 to September 28, covers twelve neoclassical columns with a giant blue, white, and red cockade featuring a child figure wearing a Phrygian cap, seen from behind. This marks the return of Marianne to the building's facade 23 years after a similar project by Jean-Louis Debré.
The work matters because it reimagines the iconic republican symbol Marianne as a vulnerable child, shifting the allegory toward themes of transmission, future, and protection. The installation gains added resonance amid the recent Lyhanna affair, which sparked national protests over child protection failures. However, as a state commission rather than a spontaneous intervention, the piece raises questions about whether the institution is genuinely acknowledging its responsibilities or performing self-critique, adding a layer of political irony to the artwork.