the street is our gallery

An aerial view shows the giant ephemeral landart painting entitled “World in Progress II” by Swiss-French artist Saype (Guillaume Legros) representing two children drawing and building with origami their ideal world, at the Headquarters of the United Nations (U.N.) in New York City, USA. The artwork covering 11’000 square meters (118’000 sq ft) was produced with biodegradable paints made from natural pigments such as charcoal and chalk and constitutes the second step of a project started at the U.N. European headquarters in Geneva in 2020.

SWITZERLAND LANDART SAYPE UN NEW-YORK CITY

« World in Progress II » is the second chapter of a story that started at the European Headquarters of the United Nations (U.N.) in Geneva in June 2020, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the U.N. As a gift from Switzerland to the U.N., the ephemeral artwork by French-Swiss artist Saype covers 11’000 square meters of the north Lawn of the U.N. headquarters in New York City. The giant fresco created using biodegradable paint was inaugurated on September 18 for the launch of the “Common Agenda” by António Guterres, Secretary General of the U.N., Ignazio Cassis, Swiss Minister of Foreign Affairs and the artist, Saype.

By investing the New York headquarters of the United Nations, Saype wishes to use this new work to remind present generations of their duty, with regard to generations to come. Remind them that they must not to lose sight of the luminous ideal of peace between nations, nations that will go hand in hand with the preservation of their environmental world heritage.

The project is supported and gifted by Switzerland to the U.N. to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the organization and the launch of the Common Agenda.

Photography by Valentin Flauraud for Saype