In his work ‘The Illusion of Choice’, Jonas Vansteenkiste examines the impact of the so-called Hausmannisation of Paris, a radical urban renewal project of the 19th century that drastically changed the appearance and structure of Paris. Central to Vansteenkiste's research are the facades designed and built during this period, iconic of the uniformity and monumentality of the renewed cityscape.

 

Vansteenkiste presents these facades in an installation reminiscent of a wall presentation, where they are displayed like pages of a catalogue. In this installation, he raises questions about the aesthetics and ‘look and feel’ of the Haussmann period. The facades, carefully designed and standardised, give the illusion of a harmonious, controlled urban environment. By presenting them as a catalogue, Vansteenkiste shows the conscious aesthetic choice of the city and its architects to give a specific atmosphere and identity to Paris. However, this catalogue also reveals a deeper truth: residents' apparent freedom of choice in what their city looked like was in reality an imposed decision by the urban elite.

 

More than that, Vansteenkiste emphasises that the residents of Paris at the time had no say in the rigorous restructuring of their city. Under the leadership of Baron Haussmann, entire neighbourhoods were demolished and replaced by wide boulevards, new infrastructure and uniform facades, often leading to the loss of homes and communities. The renewal was presented as an improvement of the city, but the real consequence was that many lost their homes and were forced to move.

 

Through his installation, Vansteenkiste makes viewers reflect on the underlying social and political dimensions of urban renewal. The beautiful facades that characterise Paris today also tell a story of forced displacement and loss. In ‘The Illusion of Choice’, Vansteenkiste highlights the tension between the aesthetic benefits of urban renewal and the social price paid for it. He asks us to think about the historical and contemporary implications of urban planning choices and who really influences the way our cities are shaped.

 

In this way, Vansteenkiste not only underscores the illusion of choice in architecture, but also critiques the impact of urban transformation on the people who are affected by it.

 

in ‘The Illusion of Choice’, Jonas Vansteenkiste explores the influence of colour on the streets of Paris and the historical context of France. Besides the architectural aspects of the Haussmann period, he examines how colour is a determining factor in the visual identity of the city and its buildings. During his research, Vansteenkiste came across the famous porcelain of Sèvres, known for its rich and sophisticated colour palette, which inspired him to further explore the relationship between architecture and colour.

 

The Sèvres porcelain factory, founded in the 18th century, is known worldwide for producing luxurious, handmade porcelain. The rich, deep colours of Sèvres porcelain - such as intense blue bleu lapis, radiant fond jaune, and other ground colours - are used in their products to exude sophistication and splendour. These colours have symbolic connotations and were often used in prestigious settings, such as royal palaces and the upper classes of France. For Vansteenkiste, these colours reflect not only an aesthetic choice, but also a deeper connection to France's history and social strata.

 

By linking the porcelain of Sèvres with the colours of Parisian architecture, Vansteenkiste shows how the choice of colour in the urban landscape is not neutral, but a conscious aesthetic and cultural decision. The colours that emerge in Haussmann architecture, such as beige and sand-coloured facades, are examined by Vansteenkiste in relation to Paris' rich and complex history. Just as the Sèvres porcelain symbolises the refined taste and power of the French elite, the use of colour in Parisian buildings reflects the controlled, uniform appearance that Haussmann wanted to achieve.

 

In his installation, Vansteenkiste suggests that just as the porcelain was carefully designed to exude status and power, the Paris streetscape was likewise designed with similar precision and symbolism. The choice of colours in both the buildings and the porcelain is no accident, but a subtle form of social control and representation.

 

Vansteenkiste uses these insights to make viewers think about the meaning of colour in our environment. His work raises questions about how colour influences our perception of space and history, and how these choices stem from historical and political processes. As with the illusion of architectural choice, he highlights that even colours in the streetscape are part of a larger narrative that influences our collective identity and experience of the city

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