Our publication delves into the lives of four individuals who live very monotonous and mundane lives. They are all connected by an imaginary metro line 18 driven by one of the personas: the metro driver. The line transports the other personas to some of Paris’ historic landmarks including the Louvre, the Opera Garnier, and the Eiffel Tower. The different texts go through a normal day in their lives while adding imaginative or unexpected elements. These written aspects are also what connects our publication visually and artistically. Our intention of an “unglamorized” Paris is portrayed with unsaturated, grainy, and disorganized collages. Our publication is “for tourists”. It is messy and does not use the typical easily comprehensible diagrams, beautifully edited pictures, and information as normal guidebooks, instead it is an unidealized look at the city of Paris. For the perspective of the metro driver, we have a description that is more focused on his hearing and his vision of things, since what appears in front of his field of vision does not often change. The perspective from the Louvre will be from a ticket officer who works there and how he gets through his sometimes frustrating and unexciting day by daydreaming of an adventure at the Louvre. From the eyes of the singer outside the Opera, the outside of the 150 year old monument would be just a means of earning a little more and also a place where he can use his talent. While there’s performances going on inside the Opera, this lone man is performing for the unbothered people on the steps outside, imagining how his life would be if he was performing inside. The vendors at the Eiffel Tower, while selling trinkets of the famous landmarks are simultaneously a ring of illegal activity who profit off of the tourism and popularity of Paris’ landmarks. This city-wide team of vendors shows the unglamorous side of these popular tourist attractions and the prevalence of the illegal activity in the city.
Made in COllaboration with Alex Savin, Hiya Kadywala, and Costanza Cordaro
