Invaders in the Petit Palais: Some 60 of the world’s most renowned street artists have been invited into the confined, exclusive spaces of a Parisian institution, although some admit it raises questions about whether they really belong there.
The Palace of Fine Arts on the banks of the Seine houses an illustrious selection of 19th-century paintings and sculptures. But the exhibition We are here see street artists infiltrate with graffiti, murals and graphics scattered among the portraits, even going so far as to add cartoon wings to the statues.
Some blend almost too well, like a freshly done portrait by the Tunisian artist DaBro which looks perfectly at home among a group of solemn 19th century street scenes until you realize it features break-dancers.
Others are more shocking, like the pixelated alien by the French artist Invader above a sunset monet. It is, according to some of the artists, a logical step.
“Street art always has the spirit of invasion. “We always want to take spaces that are not open to us,” he said. Intia Chilean artist who provided a huge mural.
But the exhibition has also made him question himself, he said: “Entering a closed space like this is entering an institution, it is a bit contrary to what we try to do outside.”
He also worries that street art has become too commercialized, undermining its rebellious spirit.
A painting by the American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, which began in street art before moving into galleries, sold for 110 million in 2017; a crushed work by the British artist Banksy He did it for USD 25 million in 2021.
hush, a street artist from the north of England, agrees that art movements die when they become too accepted by the establishment. But your ethos still challenges the elitist atmosphere of the galleries, he said.
“As a working-class guy, you don’t always feel accepted in art museums. With street art, everyone feels allowed to come in,” he said.
“And you can still be disruptive, you can still have fun. The nice thing about coming from this scene is that you don’t feel like you have to say yes. It means we are still in control.”
One of the first items that catches visitors’ attention is a giant aerosol can emerging from the ground with cartoon wings, courtesy of the London artist D*Face.
“It represents the fact that we have been buried underground and often overlooked, and now we are emerging to be seen,” he said.
The timing is right, he added, with France plunged into political turmoil this week over a landslide victory for the far right in the European elections.
“Urban art is really the first global art movement. You go anywhere in the world and there is a street art community,” D*Face said. “This is about inclusion, while politics right now is trying to divide us.”
is also present Shepard Faireyalias Obeyknown for his “Hope” posters for the presidential campaign of Barack Obama.
His, made in response to the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015.
“What I love about street art is that it brings people together, it has a generous spirit,” he said. “Anything that makes people think about their common humanity instead of selfish protectionism is very valuable for this moment.”
But can street art maintain that political relevance if it becomes too accepted by the elite?
“We have been saying that street art is dead since its inception and it has continued to evolve,” Hush said. “But it has come full circle. Street art was against those who could say yes or no.
“And now they tell us yes.”
Source: AFP. Photos: Petit Palais Paris
