Street art, a new factor of attraction for territories

Street art enthusiasts can rejoice. This art with a controversial history is now in the spotlight. Documentaries and exhibitions are on the rise, such as “Capital(s)” at the Paris City Hall; of “Urban de Paname”, which offers an urban route of over 2,000 m² at the ice rink of Saint-Ouen (Seine-Saint-Denis), or again, in Bordeaux, of the “Pioneers of street art”, which aims to be the largest exhibition organized in France. Originally very marginal and assimilated to the decay of public spaces, urban art has become largely democratised, also institutionalized, to the point of creating a competition between cities to reclaim the title of street art capital.

“When creation manifests itself, it is a sign of vitality for a city,” summarizes Carine Rolland, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of Culture. The city has long been involved in the development of street art and coordinates public commissions, in particular financed by the city’s participatory budget, for the creation of monumental frescoes or the animation of walls, such as in Oberkampf in 11^And. “We play an intermediary role and put the owners of the buildings, whether private or public, in contact with the artists’ collectives,” explains the assistant.