An ephemeral cultural wasteland that resides in Censier’s former campus in Paris

The vast third cultural center focused on the transmission of knowledge has occupied the former campus of the Sorbonne-Nouvelle University for two years. A 25,000 square meter space called “Césure” that will open to the public at the beginning of the year.

Cold neon lights of lonely light, drafts only whispers. Like the air of the apocalypse in these empty corridors of Censier’s ancient campus. We’ll welcome another rave out there before the end of the world. Wandering through these abandoned classrooms and auditoriums inspires the imagination. The cinematic potential is big in this 25,000 square meter underworld.

But we must not trust this night Christmas, the massive space soon crowded. One hundred and eighty cultural and associative buildings have taken over the place since the departure, last spring, of thousands of students of letters, arts and humanities, to the new Campus of the Nation, in the 12th arrondissement.

Since then, the place has been “the wasteland”a “third place”a “proving ground”. Terms vary by hub. It is anyway The invention of collective spacesays Axel Henry, Director of Communications Yes we camp. The association is the co-founder of the project with urban plateauThese two structures work to restore the association to its place where there is no one left.

The first creates spaces “Open, generous and creative”, according to their connections; The second spaces for work designs at a lower cost, intended for cultural and collective actors, focused on the social and solidarity economy. Together, Yes We Camp and Plateau urbain have created “Césure”, this spacious workspace for many artistic and festive performances. Epaurif, director of university heritage at Ile-de-France, has launched a call for projects. The challenge was that this place did not remain deserted during those two years of lead time before major works to come, including an asbestos removal operation scheduled for July 2024.

Thus, stigmata related to running fixtures are displayed almost everywhere on this visiting day. Sections of walls that vacillate here and there, a half-canteen and half-emmaus shop-room taking shape, poignant resting areas. Eight teaching rooms in total are planned. And if the programming is fine-tuned, some elements willingly drop out. The XXL room will host disco evenings, the amphitheater will host conferences and performances, and another room already used for food distribution by the association Cop1. Because Césure will not only be a place of transition, but also a field of struggle against student instability.

No wonder Plateau Urbain and Yes We Camp chose to take care of these two years of transition. specialists in “transitional urbanism”In the past, they have proven their ability to give new life to extinct places. They are the ones who invested from 2015 to 2020 the former Saint-Vincent de Paul Hospital, avenue Denfert-Rochereau (14th arrondissement). The ephemerality of projects is embedded in their actions, and does not discourage them. “We are so used to putting ourselves in the gaps, to trying things for a little while.”explains Gabrielle Dubois, an employee at Plateau Urbain. “The ephemeral nature really strengthens us, because we must not waste time, and if it does not work out, it does not matter.”.

Gabrielle Dubois is responsible for the 180 “occupants” selected for Césure. Choose between eight hundred candidates. Since their installation, each building has paid Epaurif a ridiculous “royalty”, around twenty euros per square metre, to cover their energy bills. They also pledged, for safety reasons, not to do any major work.

These structures are varied, ranging from Crous to small artisans, from theater companies to various companies in the Social and Solidarity Economy. “We chose the ones that align with our desire to impart knowledge, with the idea of ​​playing with the history of a place.” Gabrielle Dubois give us a gossip visit. I’ve been working on this project for months, And now you know this campus by heart, which you have never been to before. “We had the idea of ​​playing with the history of the place…”

Césure will open its doors to the public in early 2023 but no exact date can be set with these “Safety commissions that slow down. It finally passed a head behind a door, that of Clément Levasseurt, one of the 180 passengers. The boy is running Young amateursa popular science-focused educational association. “We fit perfectly with the Caesura line”explains the boy. He has the banana, that is “collective emulsion” like itAnd the He had already tried it out with Les Grands Voisins, an ephemeral project for Former St. Vincent de Paul Hospital.

“Les Petits Débrouillards don’t have a place for that, with this kind of project we get space We are allowed to welcome the audience, to bring lessons.” Clement Levasseurt greets his colleague who joins him and mentions the good understanding with his neighbors to overcome him,”It changes everything here for us.” And if it was already recorded that all this would be temporary, that someday it would be necessary to return the keys and leave, the boy does not care, he pretends to be a philosopher, who knows calendars, boxes to pack and unpack. “I think homelessness has its virtues…”