Appréhender la banlieue: Les Passagers du Roissy-Express et l'exploration spatiale

In May 1989, François Maspero and Anaïk Frantz undertook a journey along the RER B between Roissy airport and St Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, which formed the basis of their book Les Passagers du Roissy-Express (1990). The text would become a key landmark for thinking about urban space in contemporary France...

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Main Author: Edward Welch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Liverpool University Press 2014-01-01
Series:Francosphères
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/franc.2014.14
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author Edward Welch
author_facet Edward Welch
author_sort Edward Welch
collection DOAJ
description In May 1989, François Maspero and Anaïk Frantz undertook a journey along the RER B between Roissy airport and St Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, which formed the basis of their book Les Passagers du Roissy-Express (1990). The text would become a key landmark for thinking about urban space in contemporary France, its exploration and portrayal. Twenty-five years on, what does it have to tell us about the nature and possibilities of spatial enquiry? What can we learn from it about apprehending the spaces of the banlieue? Does it remain a reliable guide to the locations it describes? This article sets out to review the emblematic status acquired by Les Passagers du Roissy-Express since 1990. Resituating the text in the broader context of a preoccupation with space in contemporary French culture, it highlights in particular its reflections on the passage of space through time, and the palimpsestual layering of history in place that occurs as a result. It also considers the text's articulation of a phenomenologically-based mode of spatial enquiry grounded in walking and image-making.
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spelling doaj-art-3884c4dfa2d24247b9e4d890de09da062025-08-20T03:13:22ZengLiverpool University PressFrancosphères2046-38202046-38392014-01-013217318610.3828/franc.2014.14Appréhender la banlieue: Les Passagers du Roissy-Express et l'exploration spatialeEdward Welch0University of Aberdeen, edward.welch@abdn.ac.ukIn May 1989, François Maspero and Anaïk Frantz undertook a journey along the RER B between Roissy airport and St Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, which formed the basis of their book Les Passagers du Roissy-Express (1990). The text would become a key landmark for thinking about urban space in contemporary France, its exploration and portrayal. Twenty-five years on, what does it have to tell us about the nature and possibilities of spatial enquiry? What can we learn from it about apprehending the spaces of the banlieue? Does it remain a reliable guide to the locations it describes? This article sets out to review the emblematic status acquired by Les Passagers du Roissy-Express since 1990. Resituating the text in the broader context of a preoccupation with space in contemporary French culture, it highlights in particular its reflections on the passage of space through time, and the palimpsestual layering of history in place that occurs as a result. It also considers the text's articulation of a phenomenologically-based mode of spatial enquiry grounded in walking and image-making.http://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/franc.2014.14ParisFrançois Masperourban spacetransportwalkingphotography
spellingShingle Edward Welch
Appréhender la banlieue: Les Passagers du Roissy-Express et l'exploration spatiale
Francosphères
Paris
François Maspero
urban space
transport
walking
photography
title Appréhender la banlieue: Les Passagers du Roissy-Express et l'exploration spatiale
title_full Appréhender la banlieue: Les Passagers du Roissy-Express et l'exploration spatiale
title_fullStr Appréhender la banlieue: Les Passagers du Roissy-Express et l'exploration spatiale
title_full_unstemmed Appréhender la banlieue: Les Passagers du Roissy-Express et l'exploration spatiale
title_short Appréhender la banlieue: Les Passagers du Roissy-Express et l'exploration spatiale
title_sort apprehender la banlieue les passagers du roissy express et l exploration spatiale
topic Paris
François Maspero
urban space
transport
walking
photography
url http://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/franc.2014.14
work_keys_str_mv AT edwardwelch apprehenderlabanlieuelespassagersduroissyexpressetlexplorationspatiale