While water completely disappeared from the centre of Thiers over the course of the 20th century, residents expressed a desire for an artist-designed fountain to be created, so that art and water could contribute to the revitalisation of the neighbourhood.
Rue Conchette—whose medieval name refers to the conche, a water source present on the site for centuries—is one of the main streets of the town. Today, it still accommodates a few shops, whereas in the past it was the heart of a densely populated neighbourhood with vibrant commercial activity. Along the middle section of the street stood, until 1906, an octagonal fountain made of Volvic stone, topped with a carved pinecone, where women would come to draw water and meet one another. This was a lively place of social interaction, which the Fontaine collective hopes to revive by commissioning an artist to design a new fountain.
How can water be reintroduced with all its symbolic and poetic richness and once again resonate with the medieval name of La Conchette? One – hundred – and – eighteen years after the removal of the Rue Conchette fountain, could its return also become a symbol of the return of artists to this town, so highly regarded in the 19th century?
These were the questions the commissioning group wished to pose to the artist Marion Verboom, whom they selected for the generosity and versatility of her sculptural practice. They had an enthusiastic meeting with her in October 2024 and showed her the site.
