Presse hydraulique Bliss, Industrial press at Chandon-République district, Gennevilliers, France
The Bliss hydraulic press is a large metal-forming machine made of cast iron and steel standing 7 meters tall and weighing 155 tons. This stationary installation with vertical motion capabilities occupies a ground space of roughly 2.2 by 4.2 meters.
The press was built in 1938 and operated until 2000 at the Chausson automotive factory, a major industrial site in the area. It represents the era when Gennevilliers was a hub of French automobile production.
The city preserves this industrial machine as a public monument, transformed into an art installation through collaborations with artists Michel Verjux and Philippe Daney. The press demonstrates how factories once shaped community life and how industrial workers defined daily rhythms in the area.
The press is visible from a distance and sits in a public area that is easy to reach. Visitors can view the machine from the outside and explore the artistic elements surrounding it.
The press was originally a working tool for metal fabrication and only became an artwork after it stopped operating. This shift from pure industry to artistic intervention shows how a place can preserve its past while reinterpreting it.
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