La Défense by night - kerouac2

[Deleted]

Last night, even though the Day of the Dead is long past, I felt a need to return to the cemetery of capitalism in France. Before heading in the direction of the altar of La Grand Arche, I looked back towards Paris, where it appeared that heads were being displayed on sticks.

The tombstones glowed in the night.



This victim died just last month and brought European banks to their knees.



Coeur Défense is the largest office edifice in Europe (350,000m²) after the Romanian parliament building in Bucharest.



It belonged to Lehmann Brothers until they met their untimely death in 2009.

How long will the French nuclear giant Areva linger in half-life?















Some of the graves are decorated.











I began to approach the altar for the funeral services.

[mickthecactus]

That is very good.......

[Deleted]

There was a refreshment stand in the middle of the graveyard.



Even though this isn't Mexico, some people enjoy placing ornaments around the tombs.











Mourners were both arriving and leaving.







I arrived where the services were being held.



Prayers were everywhere.















And the faithful prayed for a change...





Monetary assistance totally forbidden! Only products on their list of supplies.

[fumobici]

I didn't realize that there were occupiers at La Défense, but where a more perfect place in France?

Looking at La Défense I can't help but wonder how it will age. Will it be maintained in its shiny birth state, evolve gracefully or become the next faded Beaugranelle? Modernist architecture quickly becomes ironically dystopian given a little broken glass, weeds, urine smell and stochastic disorder.

Imagine how different the scene would be with just a few clotheslines hung outside of shattered windows in the towers.

[Deleted]

I was extremely impressed at how total strangers engaged in conversations instantly around the occupation camp. As I took a few photos, a young African man asked me what this was all about. "I see that something is happening," he said, "but I don't understand it. These people look almost the same as me. Why are you taking pictures?" Frankly, it is not an easy question to answer, not because there is nothing to say about it, but on the contrary because there are a million things to say about it. I tried to explain a few things, but he could not understand why people would voluntarily camp out in the cold and damp when they had a place to live. "My little brother and I are sleeping in a squat," he told me. "It is a very bad situation but it is better than sleeping here."

An old Maghrebi man was listening and he joined the conversation. "This is very good," he said. "They are showing that you must listen to the people. They can't push us around anymore. I came to France a long time ago. My children are French and they just want things, but I know how important it is to defend freedom, too. Where I came from, you could not say what you think. France is the country of human rights, and I hope they stay a long time!" The African looked mystified by such matters, because his main preoccupation was to have a roof over his head and food in his stomach. Why would people put themselves in misery as a spectacle in one of the richest nuggets of the European continent? Good question.

It was such a tiny gathering in the huge setting.

It was even dwarfed by the Christmas Market being set up right next to it. And of course, just 20 meters away, simulated life continued as usual.







Law and order was available in a heartbeat.



Anything is tiny under the Grande Arche anyway.













I entered the crypt, aka UGC Ciné Cité La Défense, one of the biggest megaplexes on the continent.















Escape was through the catacombs (the closed shopping mall).





It wasn't even very late, and lots of transportation was available.



And so I left the cemetery, but imagine the nocturnal solitude of the people watching the tombs.

[bixaorellana]

Oh, man -- I'm almost speechless.

The presentation is certainly an excellent conceit, but you made it profound as well. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant photos and sequence, and the whole thing is quite moving.

Applause.

[Deleted]

Nov 11, 2011 18:22:05 GMT fumobici said:

Looking at La Défense I can't help but wonder how it will age. Will it be maintained in its shiny birth state, evolve gracefully or become the next faded Beaugranelle? Modernist architecture quickly becomes ironically dystopian given a little broken glass, weeds, urine smell and stochastic disorder.

La Défense is still a living organism so far. The first skyscraper ever built there was torn down (the Esso tower) and replaced by Coeur Défense. Other towers will be coming down soon (Aurore and Manhattan, if I am not mistaken) to be replaced by more of the same.

If the world economy does not collapse, next year will see the beginning of the construction of Hermitage Plaza, twin 100 story towers built by a Russian billionaire, one meter shorter than the Eiffel Tower "out of respect"

(It should be mentioned that Beaugrenelle has been torn down and is being rebuilt in a different incarnation.)

[fumobici]

Love the last shot of the guy manning the reception desk alone. Bit like Hopper's Nighthawks but with a dollop of alienating solitude.

I guess all protest might seem bourgeois from a squat. It sounds like the young man had probably never had a political thought in his life.

[Jazz]

A fascinating presentation. By night or day, la Defense leaves me utterly cold and longing for a hint of humanity. One day a friend took me for a brief, stunning tour of the cemetary by car. Ten minutes. It will last me for a lifetime and I will never return.

Nov 11, 2011 19:51:41 GMT kerouac2 said:

..... a young African man asked me what this was all about. "I see that something is happening," he said, "but I don't understand it. These people look almost the same as me. Why are you taking pictures?" ....., but he could not understand why people would voluntarily camp out in the cold and damp when they had a place to live. "My little brother and I are sleeping in a squat," he told me. "It is a very bad situation but it is better than sleeping here."

..........]An old Maghrebi man was listening and he joined the conversation. "This is very good," he said. "They are showing that you must listen to the people. They can't push us around anymore. I came to France a long time ago. My children are French and they just want things, but I know how important it is to defend freedom, too. Where I came from, you could not say what you think. France is the country of human rights, and I hope they stay a long time!" Why would people put themselves in misery as a spectacle in one of the richest nuggets of the European continent? Good question.

I was totally sympatico with this conversation. Our situations are relative and the bewilderment of the young man is simple and powerful. He is not of the comfortable, established group that has the luxury of indulging in intellectual commentary. He would just like to eat and be warm at night. I was also drawn to the old Maghrebi man. His appreciation that this ‘occupation’ represented possibility and his gratitude for the freedom to do so. The voice of experience. Thank you Kerouac, your photos are superb, but more important, this was an unusual and thought provoking essay.

Will la Defense ‘rest in peace’?

[nycgirl]

This is a very inspired photo essay. The area does look strangely lonely and ominous.

[Deleted]

In any case, the Empire struck back today, just as it did in many other cities around the world -- the camp has been evicted.

[nycgirl]

Yeah, same thing happened here.

[Deleted]

I read something or other today about the La Défense campers being allowed to return as long as they moved a bit farther away from the Christmas market, to allow the installation of a display of plastic penguins.

[lola]

Bravo, Kerouac.

[tod2]

You did it again! Wonderful idea of comparing those silent imposing buildings with tombs in a cemetery.
For me the photos were so much more..... The 'heads on poles' which stand to attention in the shallow Basin Takis. They seem to stand guard over the fledgling vineyard I love so much.
The stream of lights down towards the Champs Elysees and the sparkling Eiffel Tower to the right greet me every evening when I return to the hotel. Maybe some nights a lonely mum sits on a bench watching her children splash about in the warm night air - the entire place has a calm relaxing atmosphere. I love it up here.

Your shot over the Bassin Agam of the brightly lit Grand Arche is lovely. It seems as if the fountains have laid their heads to rest for the night and decided to let the magnificent Arche stand alone in it's glory.
I loved the photo of the little restaurant all bright and welcoming. We had a beer there whilst waiting for the rain to subside.

A lonely shiny grand piano - last time I saw it a man was playing wonderful music and people stopped and watched as he played. I hope to see him again next year.

Thanks for the memories.

[imec]

Love the thumb! And the building with the hole in it.

[tod2]

Imec....you mean the Grand Arche La Defense? The square hole? It's so different to all the other towering office blocks isn't it, yet so simple a design!

[Deleted]

I just wish that people would return to OCCUPY!