#molitor

Molitor

La piscine en plein air est ouverte • Bar-Restaurante • Solarium

Porte Molitor

“Art will never again leave molitor”

Molitor is like a cat with nine lives. A masterpiece of French architecture that first opened its doors in 1929 as a place where Parisians could come to swim and bathe all year round, ice-skate, do sporting activities or just socialize. In her second life Molitor got abandoned after being closed by the City Council. But… an abandoned building in Paris never stays abandoned for long.

Graffiti artists invaded the building turning it into a huge space for self-expression, then gradually it became the temple of the Paris underground. The site became an immense open-air artist’s studio. That legacy was kept alive when Molitor entered her third live in 2014: a hotel, restaurant and spa honoring the architecture and rich history of the place, including street artwork which was such an integral part of Molitor’s history. The cubicles in the pool were transformed into a living museum of urban art, the so-called ‘cabins of curiosity’.

In 2017 DOES painted cabin 127 and this month he went back for the official presentation of the book about Molitor’s urban art. DOES stayed in the hotel for two days experiencing its grand atmosphere and hosting a sign session of the book with other artists. Get your copy of the book here.

Molitor and DOES will not part yet… Talks are ongoing about an exposition of DOES’ work in this unique place next year. To be continued…

Special thanks to curator & art director Sylvia Randazzo.

Trois mannequins lors d’un défilé de maillot de bain à la Piscine Molitor, Paris, 8 juin 1951 

Three models at a swimwear show at Molitor open-air swimming pool, Paris, France, June 8, 1951