A vibrant skateable sculpture bursts onto the scene in the Piazza of Centre Pompidou, just in time for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. This enticing creation springs forth from the imagination of French artist Raphaël Zarka, developed in collaboration with architect Jean-Benoît Vétillard. Specifically designed for the Piazza, the sculpture invites the public to revel in the warm ochre tones of the area, providing a thrilling landscape for both amateur and seasoned skaters to navigate the sweeping ramps.
This intricate installation, called Cycloïd Piazza, will be showcased till September 15, 2024, amid the backdrop of a building set for renovation by Moreau Kusunoki and Frida Escobedo Studio by 2030. Zarka drew inspiration from the groundbreaking physics of the Classical era, particularly from Galileo’s cycloid, a curve identified in 1599 as the pathway for the quickest descent. For the first time, he applies this concept within a skateboard context, uniquely at the iconic Centre Pompidou.
Uniting art with science, the work also channels influences from early 20th-century artistic movements, including constructivism and geometric abstraction, while paying homage to pioneering women like Katarzyna Kobro, Lyubov Popova, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, and Sonia Delaunay. The sculpture dazzles with its polychrome scheme, featuring shades of red, green, and yellow, reminiscent of Renaissance palettes and nodding to the color theory established by modernist architect Le Corbusier in 1931.
As an avid skater and author of several influential texts on skateboarding—including La Conjonction interdite, A Chronicle of Skateboarding 1777-2009, and Free Ride and Riding Modern Art—Zarka’s involvement with Cycloïd Piazza marks a significant intersection of his passions, providing a unique lens through which to explore shape and space.
Raphaël Zarka’s Cycloïd Piazza marks the fourth installment in his captivating series of skateable sculptures, a journey that began in the vibrant streets of New York back in 2011. This latest creation at the Centre Pompidou features an intricate design of ramps, ledges, stairs, passageways, and podiums, inviting both visitors and skaters to explore, relax, congregate, and glide through the space. Even after the excitement of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, this dynamic environment fosters creativity and interaction among all who enter. “The term Piazza implies a shift in scale: my sculpture is crafted as a space, a zone within a zone, a piazza within a piazza,” explains the French artist.