Paris-The City where Artists Never Sleep

Here We Will Discover 5 Neighborhoods Where You Can See Street Art of Paris:

From the Bassin de la Villette to the festive district of Oberkampf via the 13th arrondissement or the inner suburbs, there isn't a place in Paris where street art has no place. Paris is an open-air museum Looking up, we can discover astonishing pieces: graffiti emblems of hip-hop culture, mischievous stencils, poetic collages or even monumental frescoes that adorn many facades. From Montmartre to Butte-aux-Cailles, you have to open your eyes because every gap is a pretext for the creation and in many places in Paris, colourful frescoes have covered the concrete. here we will discover 5 neighbourhoods that are great to explore:

THE 13TH ARRONDISSEMENT: PLACE TO MONUMENTAL FRESCOES

For several years now, the 13th arrondissement of Paris has been the favourite spot for street artists and has now become a veritable open-air museum! Just around the National metro, in rue Jeanne d'Arc and boulevard Vincent Auriol, it is possible to observe more than ten frescoes! American artist Shepard Fairey has produced several of them, including one bearing the French motto: "Liberty, equality, fraternity".Next to it, a mosaic several meters high representing the whimsical doctor from the television series Doctor House is signed by the Frenchman Invader. In the whole of the district, one only has to walk to find a masterpiece, like the colossal “Embrace and struggle” fresco representing two men face to face in 18th-century clothes. , produced by the Irish painter Conor Harrington.

FROM OBERKAMPF TO MÉNILMONTANT: STREET ART IS EVERYWHERE

To the east of Paris, the districts of Oberkampf, Belleville and Ménilmontant are hotspots for street art. Thanks to the action of associations such as Art Azoï and Le Mur Oberkampf, some facades even have their artistic programming. Every two to three weeks, a new artist is invited to speak at 107 rue Oberkampf (11th). The performance takes place during the day and in public, a real feast for the eyes! Going up rue de Ménilmontant (19th), we find an emblematic fresco by Jérôme Mesnager: characters form a circle and sing to the glory of the neighbourhood's musical past. Further up the same street, the facade of the Pavillon Carré de Baudoin is regularly repainted by renowned artists. Finally, to enjoy a little nature while admiring art, just take a walk in Belleville park (20th arrondissement) where frescoes by street artists such as Seth, Kenor or El Pez adorn walls and pillars.

THE VILLETTE DISTRICT: MULTI-HAND FRESCOES

Rue de l'Ourcq (19th), not far from the canal, one marvel at a long colourful wall. Several artists from the 19th arrondissement have brought it back to life, each bringing their style and colours: we recognize in particular the ethnic masks of DaCruz, the dancing characters of the graffiti artist Psy or the luminous portraits of Marko 93. A quarter of an hour's walk away is the longest fresco in Paris, produced in 2015 in the rue d'Aubervilliers (19th). Over 493 meters, many street artists like Kashink, Combo and JonOne paid tribute to African-American Rosa Parks, known for refusing to give way to a white person on the bus. A multiple works that propagate a feeling of peace and of living together specific to this mixed neighbourhood in the north of Paris.

THE CENTER OF PARIS: FROM BEAUBOURG TO GAINSBOURG

From the Halles district to Serge Gainsbourg's home, the walls of the city centre are the playground for artists. On Igor-Stravinsky Square (4th) for example, a 350 square meter fresco shows the enigmatic face of a man inviting silence: a monumental work by Jef Aérosol produced with a stencil. In the rue de la Verrerie (4th), Mr Cat covered the roller shutter of the BVH Homme with his yellow and hopping felines. Finally, on the back facade of the Blancs-Manteaux space, artist Gregos, known for pasting plaster casts of his face, painted a feminist portrait on Women's Day in 2014. On the other side of the Seine, rue de Verneuil (7th), is the house occupied by singer and poet Serge Gainsbourg. Since he died in 1991, his wall has been regularly covered with graffiti, drawings, paintings and collages, paying homage to the musician so beloved by the French.

VITRY-SUR-SEINE: THE CITY OF STREET ART

Street art is also flourishing in neighbouring towns, such as Vitry-sur-Seine. On a corner of a wall, on a sidewalk, an electric terminal or a lamppost, it is not uncommon to see creations of all kinds: stencils, small collages, graffiti, paintings ... Vitry is a city ​​committed to art thanks to its artists and its public authorities. As for the large frescoes, the city is not to be outdone. When you arrive by RER at rue Pierre Semard, there is first the emblematic "French robot" by Italian artist Pixel Pancho. Not far from the MAV VAL - Museum of Contemporary Art of Val-de-Marne, two African warriors, spear in hand, impress with their height… They were produced in 2013 in homage to Nelson Mandela by the artist Kouka.

INTERIOR STREET ART

In Paris, street art can also be seen in museums and galleries! On long winter days, there is nothing like going to warm up at Art42 (17th-arrondissement) the leading French urban art museum. Two other places dedicate part of their collection to street art and urban art: the Fab. of agnès b. and the Fluctuart boat, a cultural and festive place moored near the Pont des Invalides.

Some galleries also offer a street art program, with rich and diverse exhibitions: the Mathgoth (13th) and Brugier-Rigail (3rd), Openspace (11th), Artistik Rezo (11th), Backslash (3rd), le Cabinet d ' amateur (11th), Celal (1st), Itinerrance (13th), or the Wallworks Gallery (10th) and the Magda Danysz gallery (11th).