The mayor (LR) of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine ratified in a municipal decision, on December 9, the acquisition of a work of Art by the artist Daniel Buren for more than 289,000 euros as part of the redevelopment of the city hall. In a context of budgetary restrictions, the opposition is on a roll.
A work of art worth 289,455 euros soon on the square in front of the town hall of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine? This is what a municipal decision of December 9 reveals, ratified by the mayor (LR) of the town, Laurent Brosse and relayed by Le Parisien.
The municipal decision mentions “a project to install a lasting work by the artist Daniel Buren as part of the landscaping of Place du Général Leclerc”. The sculptor is particularly known for his columns erected in the main courtyard of the Palais Royal in Paris. In Conflans, the total amount of the project is estimated at “289,455 euros including tax”.
The opposition not consulted
According to Le Parisien, the opposition learned of the project on December 17, the day after the last municipal council, “without any information or consultation”. Mickaël Littière, leader of the main opposition group Ensemble Conflans, speaks to our colleagues about a “unilateral” decision passed “on the sly” while a municipal council was taking place on December 16.
Above all, he points to “an astronomical sum” which comes “at the worst time, in the midst of budgetary uncertainty”. “Art is important, obviously. But in view of the budget, this decision seems incomprehensible to us. We would like to understand what motivates the mayor. Especially since this is the second project concluded with Daniel Buren in four years”, recalled the elected official.
In July 2020, Laurent Brosse inaugurated five pylons decorated with flags by the artist Buren on the banks of the Seine. “At the time it was a rental,” explained Mickël Littière.
“An overall reasonable price”
On social networks, the decision greatly agitated Internet users. “It’s a joke!” exclaimed an Internet user reacting to a message relaying the municipal decision on the Facebook group “Collectif Citoyens Conflans”. “No one in these difficult times would spend so much,” wonders one Internet user.
And some have already considered different means to counter this municipal decision. In the comments, a petition and an appeal to the administrative court were mentioned.
In Le Parisien, the mayor brushes aside criticism concerning the cost of the project and mentions “an overall reasonable price” taking into account “the nature of the work and the quality of the artist”. The elected official defends a redevelopment project for the city center, in which the installation of Daniel Buren will take its full place to promote the attractiveness of the city. This 24 million euro project will also include sanitation, burying electrical networks, repairing the roadway, energy renovation of the town hall and arrangements for accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
Laurent Brosse highlights “the long-term investment” represented by the work to come and a project “which will not be financed from the operating budget but from the investment budget, that is to say spread over several years.
It remains to be seen what the work in question will look like. The mayor has, at this stage, not wished to resolve the mystery.
