The courtyards of private mansions come alive with the Architectures Vives festival in Montpellier

“KIRIGAMI FLAME” by Luis Menendez Sanchez, an Audessan Hotel installation. – GIACOMO ITALIANO

“PRELUDE” from the Kollektiv Von Null Hôtel des Trésoriers de la Bourse. – GIACOMO ITALIANO

“SOLSTICE” by Léa Bekhazi, Quentin Brion, Benjamin Maylin at the Hôtel Saint-Côme.

The 18th edition of the Architectures Vives festival kicked off yesterday. As every year, the objective is to offer an architectural journey through 11 installations placed notably in the courtyards of private mansions in the city. Here are five such installations.

Hôtel d’Hortolès (15 rue des Trésoriers de la Bourse)

Installation “Cours toujours” by Clarisse Cheung.

Clarisse Cheung wanted a "funny approach" in this little shaded courtyard of the Ecusson. The architect proposes the installation "Still running". These are hand-painted cotton ribbons which form a malleable cylinder, placed above a plant bed. Everyone at their own pace, the idea is to revolve around this work which is worked with color and material. A tactile work, it is obviously advisable to touch the ribbons, and take a look inside the structure to try to discover what may be hidden there. La Parisienne intends "to recreate vibration and rhythms of color".

Hôtel de Lunas (10 rue de la Valfère)

“The Proscenium of ephemeral reflections” by Alvaro Gonzalez Serrano and Jennyfher Alvarado Figueroa.

With "The Proscenium of ephemeral reflections", the Spanish duo Alvaro Gonzalez Serrano and Jennyfher Alvarado Figueroa welcomes us with a red carpet that leads to a structure of 600 elements, three-quarters of which are small mirrors cut. They sought to establish "a meeting point" with a work that allows his image to interact with that of the court. It’s as if it were a theater stage on which all the elements (the sky, the sun, the wind) participated in the staging.

Hôtel d’Aurès (14 rue Eugène Lisbonne)

“Rhubarb” by the trio of architects from Atelier Darn is made up of 1,000 elements.

With "Rhubarb", the trio of architects from Atelier Darn, which navigates between Paris and Italy, invites the public to interact by coming to touch the’ rsquo;one of the 1,000 elements that make up this undulatory work. There is no room for silence. The idea is to touch the elements. They will thus make sound and animate the light which passes through them. Most translucent elements are made from recycled plastic. Some are made from a plant, miscanthus, which has the advantage of decontaminating the soil. The work is fully in line with the ecological ambition of the festival.

Faculty of Medicine (2 rue de l’School of Medicine)

“A vos bricks” by Marine Manchon is a modular work.

L’installation "To your bricks" might just surprise you. Brick is chosen here for its nature as a durable material and its aesthetic qualities. "The installation is not only contemplative but an inhabited and living landscape" warns Marine Manchon who ;rsquo;designed. Indeed, like many of the works presented during the festival, it is recommended to get your hands dirty. It's up to everyone to try to modify the parts. The look that the Parisian wanted to give it pays homage to Ricardo Bofill, not for his work in Antigone but in Italy.

Hôtel de Grave (5 rue de la Salle l’Évêque)

“Divagations” a Mediterranean inspiration around the wave.

With "Divagations", the trio formed by Elsa Colin, Marc El Samrani and Lydia Amara drew inspiration from its Mediterranean roots. Coming from Nice, Montpellier and Perpignan respectively, the three architects chose the image of the wave. They started with a quote from Gilles Deleuze: "either we let ourselves be carried away by the wave, or we resist it". This is how they want to bring us into the wave which animates "elements in concordance". By taking care to remove our shoes, we can navigate among the fries (made in Belgium, they care about it!) which make up this work which comes alive with the movements or the wind.

Festival of Vivid Architectures. Until Sunday June 16. From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. FREE ENTRANCE. Program on festivaldesarchitecturesvives.com