L'Heure de tous, Bronze sculpture at Gare Saint-Lazare, France
L'Heure de tous is a vertical bronze tower at Gare Saint-Lazare rising roughly 4.6 meters (15 feet), constructed from stacked and welded clocks fused together into a solid column. The structure combines metal, colored enamel, and concrete to create a single unified form at the station entrance.
French artist Arman created this monumental work in 1985 as part of a government program to bring contemporary art into public spaces across cities. The installation was part of a broader movement to transform train stations into galleries for modern artistic expression.
The clock collection speaks to travelers who feel pulled between different time zones and places at once. By layering actual clocks displaying distinct moments, the work captures how movement and displacement shape our sense of time.
The work stands in the Cour du Havre, an open courtyard in front of the station entrance, making it easy to spot from different angles. Visitors can view it freely while moving through the station area, and it often serves as a natural gathering or meeting point.
Each clock in the column displays a different frozen moment, creating a permanent record of multiple times locked together in one form. These stopped hands transform the work into a temporal portrait that never changes or moves forward.
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