Biography of Louis Aragon, poet, novelist, and journalist (1897–1982)
Louis Aragon was a French poet, novelist, and journalist, a major figure in Surrealism before fully engaging in Socialist Realism and the Communist Party. Born in Paris, he discovered literature in his childhood and met André Breton during World War I, which led him to participate in the Dadaist and then Surrealist movements. In 1928, he met Elsa Triolet, who became his muse and wife. His work evolved after 1940, incorporating a reinterpretation of poetic and novelistic traditions. Notable works include Le Paysan de Paris (1926), Les Yeux d’Elsa (1942), and Aurélien (1944). His political and literary engagement had a profound impact on 20th-century French culture.
I dream and I awaken. In a scent of lilacs. On which side of sleep have I left you, here or there.
A poem-chair
“I adopted the chair, this familiar object, a few decades ago, at a time when I wanted to create art on a human scale in public spaces, while everywhere else people opted for the monumental: it is an object shaped like the body and serves the body. It is difficult to feel exclusive ownership of an object so universally shareable. It is mine when I occupy it, but if I leave it, someone else can claim it as their chair.” Michel Goulet, artist-sculptor
The project Prendre position
Prendre position is a sculpture-installation project of 47 chair-poems to mark the 100th anniversary of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris. They were installed in a flowered meadow created especially for the occasion by the campus estate service.
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This artistic installation was conceived by the Quebecois artist-sculptor Michel Goulet, in collaboration with François Massut, founding director of the collective Poésie is not dead.
Each house on the campus is represented by a chair, thanks to a donation from the Maison des étudiants canadiens and the support of the Labrenne group. Each of the 47 chairs is a unique work.
History and architecture of the house
The Résidence Lila has been located at Porte des Lilas in Paris since 2006. This house was built outside the historic site on Boulevard Jourdan.
