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Hope and the "Viaduc des Arts"
12^th District
by Barbara Bode

Artisans, craftspeople and other blue-collar workers laboring in workshops and smithies: that describes the neighborhood around the Gare de Lyon in the 12^th arr. of Paris ever since the Middle Ages. Today the recently restored Viaduc des Arts reflects that history.

Built in 1859 to support the railway connecting the Bastille to Vincennes, the trackbed has been transformed into a linear park with trellises and an array of botanical beauties. The green walkway stretches on --
commerce-free -- for nearly three miles along but above the Av.Daumesnil.

It offers a steady counterpoint to the creative energy generated by the restorers, designers, jewelry makers and other craftspeople working below. Housed in each of the viaduct's arches is a mélange of ateliers, workshops and design studios. What goes on inside each is constant change.

Every so often something pops up, however, that is totally unpredictable and grabs attention.

Polka-dotted light bulbs with beads and silicon wire horns, for example. They stand out amid the velvet cushions and general opulence of the Viaduc, also known as the "temple of arts and crafts." They are showcased in the atelier of designer Cyrille Varet (67 Ave. Daumesnil, 12 a.). In their glow is a poster promoting condom use.

They signify an extraordinary humanitarian effort. Designer Varet is bringing these lights made by women with HIV and AIDS in South African townships to a network of boutiques and prestigious department stores like Galleries Lafayette in Europe and Africa.

A chance encounter with a South African designer at the World AIDS Conference in Barcelona last year led Varet to this new mission. The South African was working with seropositive women to produce the decorated bulbs. Varet plumbed his network of upscale retailers to promote them. Forty-five
agreed.

World AIDS day December 2002 was the launch date. They named their effort "Ithemba," meaning "hope" in Xhasa. Within the first two months some 3500 decorated bulbs sold. Profits from sales return to the women crafters.

Given the initial success, Ithemba is expanding the product line and the number of women involved in production. More retailers also are joining the network.

The spirit of the medieval artisans and craftspeople from this Gare de Lyon neighborhood is alive in the modern light bulb designers of the townships. They have arrived at the right marketplace.