A vibrant 24-meter mural created entirely by children from the La Bastide neighborhood community center in Limoges has transformed a drab concrete wall into a stunning autumn-themed artwork. The project has brought joy to residents while opening new horizons for the young artists involved in its creation.
At the foot of one of La Bastide's residential towers, a group of enthusiastic children worked diligently to cover 24 meters of gray concrete wall with a warm, autumn-inspired fresco. "Leaves, grass, trees - it feels good, it adds some decoration," said Goundoba, admiring her contribution to the collective work. The children were guided by two professional visual artists, Ava Fischbach and Axelle Labrousse, who helped them claim ownership of a piece of their neighborhood and bring it to life.
Each child contributed according to their skills and interests. "The others draw the outlines, and I paint inside them," explained Aleyna, demonstrating how the collaborative process worked. Ava noted the children's exceptional enthusiasm, saying "They are super motivated." The colors chosen for the mural - ochre, rust, brown, and yellow - capture the rich, particular light of autumn that bathes the neighborhood's buildings.
The mural represents the culmination of a broader artistic project called "The Traces We Leave," launched in 2024. As part of this initiative, artists Ava Fischbach and Axelle Labrousse spent time listening to stories from residents of Vicq-sur-Breuilh and children from La Bastide's community center. The narratives collected from these two territories - one rural, one urban - inspired artworks that were exhibited in November 2024 at the Cécile Sabourdy Museum in Vicq-sur-Breuilh.
Returning to La Bastide in early autumn 2025, the artists proposed that neighborhood children leave their own trace in their living environment. Rather than using traditional spray paint, they chose to work with natural paint made from pigments, flour, and lime. "Lime paint is an extremely ancient paint that has been used to decorate houses and create outdoor frescoes since antiquity and even before," Ava explained to the active group of children. "I have nothing against spray paint," she clarified, "but the result is completely different, and we can't have children use spray cans - it's not good for them."
Ava described their technique as "ancient street art," explaining that "lime is the street art technique from ancient times, an era when there were many more frescoes, when houses were much more decorated than today." This traditional approach, using lime-based paint with natural pigments, creates a unique texture and appearance that differs significantly from modern graffiti techniques.
The joyful and unusual activity at the foot of the wall attracted the curiosity of neighborhood residents, who generally welcomed the new appearance of the space. One resident expressed hope to Axelle Labrousse, saying "I especially hope it won't be scribbled on, destroyed, or marked. What I wish is that it holds up for a very, very, very long time." Axelle responded optimistically, "That's why we think that doing it together and being seen doing it can hopefully result in fewer graffiti tags, because they'll feel it belongs to them more."
Beyond transforming the physical space, the project aims to inspire potential career paths for the participating children. "We see that kids absolutely love drawing - it's something almost all of them do. And we tell them that this is our profession, that we can make a living from it, and that they can also choose to pursue this career - why not!" Axelle explained. The artists view their role as not only creating beautiful public art but also opening horizons for the children who helped create it.
The colorful mural immediately gives the neighborhood a completely different appearance, creating a warm line within the community space. The project demonstrates how collaborative art can transform urban environments while empowering young people to take ownership of their surroundings and potentially discover new passions and career possibilities.
