In a viral video, actor, writer, and host Lorànt Deutsch films himself at Place Bellecour, poking fun at the yellow-orange drapery of the installation "Tissage urbain", which he compares to… sheets hanging out to dry. It's a witty jab sprinkled with his trademark scholarly humor, casually referencing the Canuts, textiles, and good old Louis XIV who stands nearby. The result: nearly 800,000 views in 72 hours and a spirited debate reignited.
And the artist doesn't hold back: “Here I am at Place Bellecour, where the people of Lyon have decided to hang their sheets out to dry. I know Lyon is the capital of sheets, textiles, the Canuts, silk… but still to do this in front of Louis XIV (a statue of the king reigns here), I don't know… There’s something fishy!”
An artwork already at the heart of criticism
The installation didn't wait for Lorànt Deutsch to cause a stir. Created as a nod to Lyon's weaving trades, this structure made of draped fabric over wooden arches has faced a whirlwind of criticism since it appeared this summer. The main complaint keeps echoing like a mantra: its cost. With 1.5 million euros invested by the green-minded city hall, the piece has become a symbol of a deep disagreement between elected officials, residents, and political opponents.
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Under Deutsch's post, the comments are flying: some applaud his humor, while others decry it as a pointless expense, and many remind that many Lyon residents never approved this project. With a mix of playful irony and genuine annoyance, Bellecour seems to have become the arena where everyone comes to drop their arguments with the same energy as during an OL-ASSE derby.
Politics seizes the opportunity
In this digital uproar, the municipal opposition didn't miss a beat. Jean-Michel Aulas, now a candidate for the 2026 municipal elections, shared the video with a biting comment: “If only that were all.” A somewhat elegant (or almost) way to take a jab at the outgoing mayor Grégory Doucet, already facing criticism for his cultural policies and his...
budgetary arbitrations. The case of the “draps de Bellecour” is certainly not going to settle down anytime soon.