In Lutetia: Utopia, a small enclave with open borders

Two women crossing a paved area on the Esplanade de la Défense in Paris

One day, I imagined a tiny country: a space measuring just a few square meters with open borders and free movement, located at the foot of the aptly named “Triumphal Arch of Man” at the top of the Esplanade de la Défense in Paris.

Fifteen minutes of slightly obsessive street photography and a few image overlays later, this new territory begins to take shape.

Man crossing a virtual border on the Esplanade de la Défense

Sitting on a step of the Grande Arche, my attention was drawn to a large white strip paved on the esplanade of La Défense.

Man seen from behind leaving a paved area in defense

I began photographing passersby who freely crossed my imaginary Parisian enclave.

Two women arriving at the corner of a paved area in La Défense

I can’t say why, but I had the idea of capturing the moment when these transient “migrants” crossed this symbolic border.

Photomontage of a split woman entering and leaving a paved area

Phone in hand, carefree and without fear of tomorrow.
What if crossing a border anywhere in the world were that simple?

Photomontage of a split woman entering and leaving a paved area at La Défense

Women, men, and children, free and equal in stride.

Photomontage d'un couple avec enfant dédoublés traversant l'esplanade de la Défense

This new country without surveillance or border controls could well be called Utopia.

The Constitution of Utopia

To set an example and one day make its small voice heard at the UN, Lutopia had to be given its first constitutional article.

Photomontage of split passersby crossing a paved area

For a territory that was more virtual than real, with no resources or dwellings, it was quite simple: “everyone is free to enter and leave without control or constraint, to move around, to fraternize, and to keep a little bit of Utopia in their hearts.”

The Triumphal Arch of Man

Sous l'arche de la défense, reflets de passants dans les vitrages — *^{Reflections under la Grande Arche, Paris. ©️Thierry Allard.}*

The name of this Parisian monument, which is known to almost no one, was given by Johan Otto von Spreckelsen, the architect who designed the Grande Arche, a true utopian, to his project for a white cube open to the sky.

He described his “Arc de Triomphe de l’Homme” as follows:

“A window on the world…
With an eye to the future.
It is a modern “triumphal arch,” glorifying the triumph of humanity.
It is a symbol of hope that in the future people will be able to meet freely.
Here, under the “triumphal arch of man,” people will come from all over the world to meet other people, to learn what other people have learned, to learn about their languages, customs, religions, arts, and cultures.
But above all, to meet other people!
Through contact with other people and nationalities, the barriers created by centuries of misunderstanding will be destroyed.

The other connection that inspired this article: