The city is in the eye of the beholder. By Timothée BERTHAUD & Maxime MARTIN SAINT LEON

Look inside, you see darkness

This photo of the wooden entrance at n°54 Paul Collomp Street (next to Blaise Pascal Lycée in Clermont-Ferrand) was taken on Wednesday 4^th February 2015. The door is dilapidated. There’s a hole in the centre in the shape of an eye with an inscription below it. There is a letterbox hole with the owners’ name above the “eye”. Next to the letterbox hole is ‘54’ in large white numbers on a black square. The door opens with an old metal handle which looks as if no one has used it in a long time. There’s a feeling of sadness and absence here, like the rest of this part of town. The area was cold, scary and strange to us, despite the mild and not unpleasant weather. Clermont can be dark and decrepit. The eye of the door invites us to look inside… What we see is the darkness of the city.

Look outside, you see beauty

This photo was also taken on the 4^th February, in Place de Jaude in front of the Opera House of Clermont-Ferrand. We see the building all lit up by night. It is an impressive building on three floors with lots of windows and openings. The ground floor has shops. Fourteen columns are carved on the façade. In front of the Opera House, three fountains are also lit up and add to the beauty of the square. The sound of fountains mingles with the noise of the busy city centre. This noisy environment contrasts symbolically with the Opera House, which is a music venue. The atmosphere in this picture is at the same time both calm and turbulent, plunging us into the urban world. This building is one of the most beautiful, historic and emblematic of our city. It gives a positive image of the city to the tourists and is a source of civic pride for us. 

The two photos express a contrasted vision of Clermont-Ferrand. Clermont still does not have a positive image to many outsiders. The first picture shows this negative view, that of a dark city. Nevertheless, Clermont has a lot to offer, like beautiful squares, a rich heritage and diverse culture. The second photo shows this. You just have to look around more and discover all our city has to offer!