Dubai International City

• France counts no less than 1,500 of them, equivalent to an area of 500 km2, or 5 times the size of Paris.
• 72% of spending by French households takes place within them, according to the country’s economy ministry.
• If that is to happen, we French people will have to learn to look at what are now often commercial ghettos under a new light.

“Ugly France”: a subjective perspective

• First used in the pages of the cultural magazine Télérama in 2010, the expression encapsulates the forms that urban spread takes: road infrastructure, commercial zones and housing developments.
• Never mind that a third of the population resides in these districts, in a mosaic of different socio-economic classes and diverse and changing living arrangements.
• The sheer number of ads in all forms in the central areas of the capital constitute the perfect example.
• Artists, and photographers in particular, have produced much work that can enable us to appreciate this aspect of commercial zones.

When artistic production meets town planning

• The fascination of photographers for suburban spaces first manifested itself during the Photographic Project of DATAR (Interministerial Delegation for Urban Planning and Regional Attractivity).
• DATAR was created in 1963 with the aim of documenting the national politics of urban planning.
• In 1984, Bernard Latarjet and François Hers founded the project in order to “represent the French landscape of the 1980s” and to “recreate a culture of landscapes”.

New stories

• Initiated by the Forum Vies Mobiles (a mobility research unit), “The lives we lead” seeks to capture the diversity of contemporary ways of life in France.
• The photography series capture stories, following individuals from all backgrounds, in different regions.
• Far from simply documenting, the project focuses on narration, featuring the inhabitants of suburban zones with vivid evocative power.

The aesthetic of contrast

• They are animated by nostalgia, off-beat humour, or are inspired by cinematic influences.
• Commercial zones become stories, and their visual qualities, full of contrasts, are sublimated by the art.
• “Hexagone : le paysage fabriqué” de Jurgen Nefzger montre des paysages périurbains dotés points de repères et de monumentalité.
• Her series ‘Hyperlife’ reveal the social relationships that play out on the carpark of the Intermarché supermarket of Saint-Erme (Hauts-de-France).

• In order to stimulate consumption and enhance the city's image, at 20:00 on June 20, 2023, the 2023 Shandong Summer Consumption Launch Ceremony was held at the Seaside Square of Yantai, according to the News Office of People's Government of Yantai.
• Yantai was born and thriving near the sea, so the sea has endowed her with a character of openness, inclusiveness, enthusiasm and hospitality.
• The aromatic wine is a "purple calling card" unique to Yantai, and the seafood here represents "smell of life" unique to the city.
• Yantai welcomes people from all corners to enjoy the summer consumption season, join the consumption feast and share the hustle and bustle of life.

• Yantai, CHINA, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, the press conference for the launch of 2022 Yantai International Wine Festival was held at the Bajiaowan International Convention and Exhibition Center of Huanghai-Bohai New Area in Yantai.
• When the ruby-red wine is poured into the glass, Yantai International Wine Festival gets underway in full glory.
• As a major move to build a brand of "International City of Vine and Wine" for Yantai City, 2022 ChinaYantai International Wine Festival spans from June to December, including more than ten serial activities such as the foundation stone laying ceremony for the China National Wine Pavilion, the 13th Yantai International Wine Expo and the 130th anniversary of CHANGYU.
• The future Yantai International Wine Center will become the permanent place for hosting the Yantai international wine festival.

• Industry expert Duan Huanan, Director of Health Design in the Fifth Design Institute of Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Co., Ltd. (BIAD) was invited to attend the forum, and delivered a keynote speech at the conference titled "AI Helps Digital and Intelligent Innovation in the Construction Industry".
• It is understood that the Beijing-Taiwan Construction Technology Innovation and Development Forum, as a major event in the domestic construction industry, has received much attention from the society since its inception.
• At the end of the interview, Duan Huanan said that it is his honor to be invited to attend this forum.
• In the future, he will continue to work hard to contribute to the innovation and development of technology in the construction industry.