Seeking to activate public spaces through creativity and participation, the collective Hmmm! (Habitants Mervillois Motivés et Mobilisés) decided to commission an artwork.
The collective Hmmm! was born of a desire to transform the town of Merville collectively, making it more sustainable, appealing, enjoyable and functional. To foster social connections between long-standing residents of rural origin and new residents from urban backgrounds—and across generations—the collective seeks to invent new shared spaces for community life.
To foster connections and build bridges, the collective has developed a series of experimental projects: an artistic banquet in a heritage site for the 2021 European Heritage Days; a gastronomic and cinematic music festival in 2022; and hands-on artistic workshops in youth-focused spaces in 2022 and 2023.
This commission aims to make it easier to create these moments of open, creative, and inclusive encounters across a variety of settings.
The designer Alex Herman proposed a mobile and modular installation entitled Wwwa! (World Wide Wandering Adventures). It allows participants to arrange its components, giving them control over the space and adapting it to their needs. The Wwwa! project is designed to be activated, evolving and transforming in response to events. The structure will gradually be enriched with new elements—decor, lighting, furniture, partitions, instruments, signage, messages—added through artist invitations and workshops.
