Hôpital Lariboisière's low perimeter wall at rue Ambroise Paré and rue Guy Patin was among the overlooked everyday sites addressed by the City of Paris programme Embellir Paris. The call drew 711 applications and selected 21 winning projects; Scratching the Surface was carved in September 2019. Vhils cuts an anonymous woman's face from the wall's own render. On this hospital boundary, urban archaeology gives the overlooked surface a human presence and treats its material as a layer of human memory.
Year2019PlaceParis, FranceMediumWallsSeriesscratching the surface seriesTypeWall