Photo : ADAGP - CD92 - O. Ravoire
An unusual visit to the heart of the Tour aux figures
Forget standard museums and step inside a massive, colorful sculpture nestled in a quiet riverside park. This architectural puzzle invites you to wander through its winding, black-and-white inner tunnels for a truly immersive and disorienting journey.
Tour aux figures
About
The Tour aux figures, a monumental creation by Jean Dubuffet located in the Parc départemental de l'Ile Saint-Germain, invites you for a unique architectural exploration. Standing 24 meters high, this iconic work houses the Gastrovolve, a hidden interior labyrinth featuring winding paths. Suitable for ages 6 and up, the experience offers a chance to step inside the structure and climb its 117-meter-long path. Visits take place on Saturdays and Sundays, from March 7 to October 31, 2026. Additionally, an inclusive discovery space nearby provides educational tools, tactile models, and videos to better understand this fascinating artistic achievement.
The exterior work
Standing 24 meters tall, the Tour aux figures sits in the heart of the Ile Saint-Germain park, at the gates of Paris. With its vibrant colors, it is one of the major works of Jean Dubuffet's Hourloupe cycle. Across its surface, lines interlock to give birth to bodies and faces, figures "human or otherwise." On the south side, a full-length woman appears, while on the north side, two heads are superimposed. Elsewhere, the shapes form other figures, uncertain and fleeting, that take form and dissolve according to the viewer's gaze.
The interior work, the Gastrovolve
The tower offers visitors a rare experience: a second, hidden work that can be explored. Titled by the artist Gastrovolve, the interior of the tower evokes rotation and the visceral intimacy of an organism. It is an astonishing interior labyrinth that visitors are invited to experience: its walls, painted with black lines on a white background, are discovered in fragments. The visitor walks on the painted floor, climbs or descends a few steps, without ever seeing the whole. For the artist, the Gastrovolve encourages the daydreaming of the solitary wanderer and allows visitors to enter the images and become participants.
In this windowless building, the 117-meter ascent evokes a mountain walk, broken up by landings and ramps that lead sinuously to a high room at the summit.
The Discovery Space
In an effort to make Jean Dubuffet's work accessible to all, an inclusive and freely accessible discovery space has been set up in the large hall of the Ile Saint-Germain park, near the tower. This space offers both an enrichment of the tower visit and alternative tools for those who cannot or do not wish to visit it.
A photographic exhibition accompanied by educational panels and tactile models allows visitors to understand the art of Jean Dubuffet and his strange tower. A screen plays a video that introduces the history of the work, its construction and restoration constraints, while another allows for a virtual tour. A play area for children with games, and bibliographic resources for adults, are open to everyone.
Schedule: Guided tours every Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM, from March 7 to October 31.
Upcoming family workshop visits available on April 12 and 26, May 10, and June 6 and 21 at 3:30 PM.
Our take on this event
Located in Issy-les-Moulineaux, the Tour aux figures is a significant work by Jean Dubuffet, characterized by its intricate black lines on a white background. The visitor experience consists of two parts: observing the vibrant exterior, where human-like figures emerge, and navigating the Gastrovolve. This interior path, stretching 117 meters, leads through a windowless, maze-like space that simulates a rotating organism, culminating in a high room at the summit.
Guided tours are held on Saturdays and Sundays at 15:00 and 16:30, between March 7 and October 31, 2026. Prices for these tours range from 4 to 8 euros. Specialized family workshop tours, designed for children aged 6 and over, take place at 15:30, with prices ranging from 6 to 9 euros.
For those seeking further context, a discovery space located in the park's main hall is open to all. This inclusive area features touch-friendly models, photographic exhibitions, and documentary videos detailing the construction and restoration of the tower, providing an accessible alternative for all visitors.
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