The Petit Palais Opens Its Doors to Street Art in Paris

“We are Here.” With this title, urban art asserts its claim to territory, just as a mountaineer would plant his flag on a newly conquered peak.

“We are Here.” With this title, urban art asserts its claim to territory, just as a mountaineer would plant his flag on a newly conquered peak. The XXL bomb-sculpture by D*Face, which greets the visitor, sets the scene. Long branded as vandals, street artists are now taking their revenge by officially investing the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris, at the Petit Palais with Mehdi Ben Cheikh, Director of the Galerie Itinerrance, as its conductor. Known for his ambitious projects such as “Tour Paris 13” (2013), “Earth Crisis” under the Eiffel Tower (2015) and “Boulevard Paris 13” (since 2014), the free exhibition set within the museum’s permanent collections is sure to impress. The exhibition’s manifesto is both an ode to the movement and to the French capital. “Paris, cradle of the avant-garde, reaffirms its central role in contemporary creation. Once the epicenter of artistic movements from Montmartre to Montparnasse, the City of Light now embodies a worldwide movement: street art. Between impertinence, humor and admiration, the artists weave links with works that, in the 19th century, were presented at the Salons. We move from the monumental creations of Swoon, Inti and Cleon Peterson to the iconic works of Obey and Invader, with a detour to discover Seth’s immersive installation, La Tour de Babel, depicting a child sitting on a pile of books, his face immersed in a rainbow. Whether in dialogue or rupture, juxtapositions work better for paintings in the large-format gallery than for 3D works in the sculpture gallery. The highlight of the show is the Concorde Room, featuring paintings by sixty artists in a symbolic nod to the hangings at the Salon. Does this legitimization mean that street art is now an official art form?

“We are Here”
Petit Palais – Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris, Paris 75008.
Until January 19, 2025
www.petitpalais.paris.fr