MERCREDI 3 SEPTEMBRE 2025 
A Monumental Citizen Hemicycle: 577 Unique Upcycled Chairs
F or Paris Design Week, designers Claire Renard and Jean-Sébastien Blanc, in collaboration with the Festival du Monde, present a monumental “citizen hemicycle”: 577 unique chairs created from upcycled materials, echoing the seats of the French National Assembly.
Each chair carries a word reflecting on freedom, democracy, and civic life — from “diversity” to “struggle”, from “peace” to “republic”. The installation can be seen in the Cour d’honneur of the Musée des Archives Nationales, Paris’s museum housing the original text of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, until 13 September. Part of it will also be displayed at the Festival du Monde, the cultural initiative hosted by the editorial offices of the French newspaper Le Monde, from 18 to 21 September.
In response to the challenges facing modern democracies, this cloud of faces and words invites reflection, dialogue, and engagement. Renard and Blanc, pioneers of upcycling, champion “activist design” — objects that awaken consciousness and carry social meaning, making the designer an agent of change.
For the past four years, the Festival du Monde has collaborated with the duo, supporting projects that transform everyday materials into shared, meaningful experiences. During Paris Design Week, the 577 chairs will also be auctioned online on Drouot.com, giving the public a chance to take home a fragment of this collective artwork.
In response to the challenges facing modern democracies, this cloud of faces and words invites reflection, dialogue, and engagement. Renard and Blanc, pioneers of upcycling, champion “activist design” — objects that awaken consciousness and carry social meaning, making the designer an agent of change.
For the past four years, the Festival du Monde has collaborated with the duo, supporting projects that transform everyday materials into shared, meaningful experiences. During Paris Design Week, the 577 chairs will also be auctioned online on Drouot.com, giving the public a chance to take home a fragment of this collective artwork.
