Broken Column, Concrete and marble sculpture near A72 motorway, France
The Broken Column is a concrete sculpture with marble elements that rises at the Suchères rest stop beside the A72 motorway. The structure merges industrial concrete forms with classical marble details into a vertical composition.
The work was created and installed in 1984 by artists Anne and Patrick Poirier. It emerged as part of France's effort to place public art installations along transportation corridors.
The sculpture sits at a rest stop and shows how France uses roadside locations to present art to passing travelers. It acts as a quiet artwork that catches visitors off guard and invites them to pause.
The artwork is easy to reach from the Suchères rest stop on the A72, where motorists can exit during a break from driving. It pays to stop during longer highway trips and view the sculpture from different angles.
The artists often worked with classical and modern materials, creating a visual dialogue between two worlds of art history. This project shows how their approach to art installations found meaning in places where most people simply drive past.
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