Amsted: Inspiring Guidelines

Between Aix and Marseille, Amsted has transformed five pillars along the A51 into an organic composition where the curve invites travelers to embark on a journey.

Commissioned by the Urban Art Up association as part of an infrastructure enhancement program led by the Interdepartmental Directorate of Mediterranean Roads (DIR Méditerranée), Amsted created artwork on five pillars of the A51 highway near Septèmes-les-Vallons. The mural covers some 160 m² along this major, heavily trafficked route between Aix and Marseille. Living near the site, the artist was able to conduct multiple site visits before beginning the project. “I was able to observe the pillars in situ, visualize how I would transform them, and create scale models.” Faced with this raw environment, she chose to create an abstract composition dominated by curves, color, and movement.

The Curve as a Language
The curve has long been the central element of Amsted’s graphic vocabulary—a style closely tied to her life journey. For more than twenty years, alongside her artistic practice, she has worked as an art therapist in psychiatric settings, with patients hospitalized in intensive care. “For me, this sinuous form embodies flexibility and adaptability in our interactions with others. My lines thus speak to this capacity to adapt.” This experience also fuels another dimension of her work: her relationship with nature. “Nine times out of ten, the people I work with express a need to reconnect with nature. Since they can’t go outside during their hospitalization, this desire comes up very often. I believe it touches on a profoundly human, almost archaic dimension.” On the A51, the curves “evoke the organic world—particularly the marine world—but also the cycles of life, that perpetual movement in which everything evolves and transforms.” On this thoroughfare dedicated to travel, the movement of the lines takes on yet another meaning: the road leads elsewhere; it evokes a journey. “I like the idea that these lines can suggest both physical movement and an inner journey.”

Working with Marseille
Amsted has also adapted her artistic style to the setting in which the mural is located. “When I paint, I build my color palette based on the environment. Here, I drew inspiration from the colors of Marseille: blue and white.” The light blues covering the pillars, crisscrossed by darker lines, evoke the sea. This initial color scheme was then enriched by the site itself. “At the end of the day, the sunset kisses the pillars, casting an absolutely magnificent orange light. So I chose, at the ends, gradients of pink, blue, mauve, and lilac to bring more softness to this raw environment.” Another integral part of the environment: graffiti, which is very prevalent in Marseille. Amsted therefore invited Fuego to collaborate with her. “On two of the five pillars, Fuego spray-painted ‘AMS’ on one and ‘TED’ on the other.” It’s a way of creating a dialogue between his organic style and one of the historic languages of Marseille graffiti.

Painting the Highway
Painting five six-meter-high pillars in the middle of such a busy thoroughfare presented unusual challenges. After applying a primer, Amsted created the various color gradients. “I first tried a paint sprayer, but it wasn’t powerful enough. So I went back to using a roller, gradually blending the Unikalo colors to achieve beautiful gradients, then I painted all the lines with a spray can.” To ensure her safety, the DIR Méditerranée closed the highway for three nights. “That completely changed my working conditions. With daytime traffic, I would have had to constantly manage the aerial lift and safety. During the closures, I was able to work much more calmly.” Despite nighttime temperatures still hovering around 28°C, the artist completed most of the mural by the light of her headlamp. “It was my only source of light. I painted at night and couldn’t wait to come back the next day to see how it looked in broad daylight.” A work designed specifically for this highway and its surroundings, where Amsted’s visual language accompanies thousands of travelers every day.

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