In line with the refurbishment of spaces, the corridors of the cycle buildings have been modified with raised ceilings and more suitable lighting for a soft and calm brightness. To adorn the walls, Geneva-based artist Pascale Favre was brought in. Her work aims to create a joyful, soothing, and fluid space, focusing on sustainability with a decor that highlights the environment of our school and the local flora.
What is your source of inspiration in your work?
I draw inspiration from my connection to nature, particularly from mountain walks. Observing landscapes and flowers, which I then reinterpret through drawing, is at the core of my research.
How did your approach materialize for this project at Florimont?
For the corridors of the Cycle at Institut Florimont, I naturally took inspiration from the school’s name to imagine a new ambiance that would create a cheerful and open atmosphere. Starting from the geographical context of Geneva and the surrounding mountain ranges, I researched the local flora of Voirons, Môle, Salève, and Jura. These sites are rich in plant species, with rare specimens that make them exceptional. I selected five species of flowers for each floor, choosing flower colors that express this diversity.
How did you translate the colors of the flowers?
This color research is expressed in situ through painted oval surfaces, where clear line drawings are superimposed. On the opposite walls of the corridors, a freehand drawing evokes the crests of these mountains, with sober and nearly uninterrupted lines, allowing the eye to travel, project, or let thoughts wander.
How did you bring a dynamic effect to these corridors?
Through perspective effects, the curved lines become almost moving as one walks along the corridors, creating ever-changing viewpoints. The small ovals of color applied to the walls animate them, interacting with the geometry of the crests, evoking both the colors of the flowers and accentuating anamorphic effects, transforming into dots from a certain distance. Thus, within these spaces, the large-scale flower drawings combined with the sinuous mountain crests reveal a presence of nature and the richness of our environment.
Pascale Favre, August 2024, https://pascalefavre.ch/
