For a decade, a French photographer has been transforming an ordinary garage door along a winding road between Vence and Saint-Jeannet into a moving outdoor art gallery. Each month, Thierry Choquard, a 64-year-old former advertising photographer turned stay-at-home father, replaces the previous artwork with a new collage that tells a different story. His latest installation pays tribute to Marceau, a stillborn baby, and has sparked an emotional response from viewers across social media.
The garage door doesn't belong to Choquard, but the owner has given him complete creative freedom to use the space. Over the years, this ordinary location has evolved into an ephemeral open-air exhibition that draws attention from passing motorists. "Drivers slow down, honk their horns, and give thumbs up," Choquard explains. His ritual has become a regular appointment for local residents who anticipate each new installation.
Last summer, Choquard received a message from Laurane, a mother whose baby Marceau was stillborn. She wanted her child to "exist a little" through his art. "I took time to reflect before accepting this subject," says Choquard, visibly moved. "During the collaging process, my heart was beating at 140 beats per minute. I told myself: you don't have the right to mess this up and prevent Marceau from existing a second time."
The delicately retouched photograph was installed in October, coincidentally during perinatal grief awareness month, without anyone knowing the significance of the timing. That same month, Laurane gave birth to another son, Lino. "It's as if the planets had aligned, we both cried," Choquard reflects emotionally. This particular collage has deeply moved viewers and triggered a wave of messages on social media from other mothers who wrote, "You have put images to our silences."
Choquard describes his approach as testimonial rather than denunciatory. "I don't denounce anything," he says. "I just need to bear witness and make people think." The connection with Laurane and her family represents "a thread that connects us. This is my strongest collage, proof that art can sometimes heal," believes the Saint-Jeannet resident.
His artistic journey began with his first collage dedicated to Georges, who lived on the margins of society. "He had made a bonfire that illuminated his beautiful face" before disappearing, Choquard recalls. Since then, unknown faces, current events, and personal tributes have succeeded one another on the garage door. After the July 14, 2016 terrorist attack, "I just pasted the word LIVE. Then alone in front of the door, I screamed. It was liberating."
One particularly meaningful installation featured an artistic photograph of a math teacher captured by his father in the 1950s. The experience created a profound impact: "Once it was posted, my father passed away. I saw it as a sign. Along with Marceau, these are the only two photos I didn't take myself." This connection between art and personal loss has become a recurring theme in Choquard's work.
At age 45, while searching for meaning in his life, Choquard had an ambitious dream: to exhibit his work in New York, which he reached by cargo ship. "I wanted to go there like a migrant, I even brought my bicycle!" he recalls. This unconventional approach to travel reflects his broader philosophy of experiencing life authentically and finding stories in unexpected places.
Looking ahead, Choquard plans to visit his son in London by traveling only by regional trains (TER) to Ouistreham in Calvados. "Three days of travel to discover France's unlikely small train stations and meet people," he explains. This journey will undoubtedly provide him with new images and stories for his garage door, which has truly become "a window onto the world." Throughout his future projects, he says he will continue thinking of Marceau and the profound impact that one small life can have through the power of art.
