Are you passionate about urban art? Generation Voyage takes you on a tour of French street art destinations.
To discover street art in France is to understand that it has its roots in Philadelphia in the 60s. A decade later, it enjoyed a resounding success in Europe.
This once forbidden artistic movement is now a real way to let your creativity explode. World-renowned artists transform ordinary walls into colorful works of art. Fans of street art, meanwhile, track down these works in every nook and cranny of the world’s most beautiful cities. But sometimes you don’t have to go far to satisfy your curiosity.
Generation Voyage has unearthed 7 French destinations for street art fans. To your paintbrushes!
1. Street Art City in Auvergne
Photo credit: Flickr – Loanne ou Lolo (No logos please)
Let’s head for theAuvergne, and more specifically the Allier, for France’s first street art destination. « Street art City » is one of the most unusual places to admire murals.
At the heart of this project is a 7,000 m2 playground where 300 artists from all over the world give free rein to their imagination. First, the outside walls are adorned with colorful creations, including Hotel 128. This is a unique experience for all street art fans.
This building has 128 rooms, so far just another hotel. However, if you take the risk of pushing open the door of each one, you’ll enjoy an immersive experience like no other. 128 micro-galleries, each with its own world, its own message and its own codes.
2. Street art in Paris
Street art avenue – Canal Saint-Denis
Photo credit: Flickr – Guilhem Vellut
Paris is undoubtedly one of the best street art destinations in France. Since 2016, the urban route « Le street art avenue » has stretched over 5 km in Seine-Saint-Denis. Some thirty murals line the Saint-Denis canal from Paris la Villette to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. Contemporary artists adorn the footbridges and walls of this post-industrial landscape with their colorful pop art.
As you stroll along, keep your eyes peeled for the creations of the Jenial duo at the foot of the Thiers footbridge. Hydrane’s works lurk on the Quai Gambetta barrier. But it’s not just concrete walls that artists are investing. Artist Dawal has transformed a doll truck into an artistic treasure trove. You might just spot him driving around Paris with his unique and trendy new look.
Moreover, this route will become a strategic axis during the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will link sports facilities in the capital with those in Seine-Saint-Denis.
Belleville district
Photo credit: Flickr – Guilhem Vellut
Belleville Park in Paris’s 20th arrondissement is no exception to France’s street art phenomenon. In fact, it was one of its precursors. Frescoes by street artists adorn the walls and pillars between nature and the city.
Connoisseurs will recognize the iconic children of street artist Seth on the lookout posts, or the works of Kenor and El Pez. As well as offering a breathtaking view of Paris, the viewpoint is also a place where street art can express itself, as part of the « Belvédère des artistes » project.
Discovering street art in Paris also means getting lost in the narrow streets. We recommend rue Dénoyez, a witness to this artistic and ephemeral wealth.
The Oberkampf wall
Photo credit: Flickr – Jeanne Menjoulet
Generation Voyage continues its discovery of street art in France with the Oberkampf wall occupied by the M.U.R. collective. This association is committed to promoting urban art in France, notably in Bordeaux, Biarritz, Rennes and Strasbourg.
More than 250 street artists in the 11th arrondissement have put their own spin on graffiti, street art and hijacking. On the corner of rue Saint-Maur and Oberkampf, beginners and established urban artists such as Ben, Miss Tic and Atlas give free rein to their imagination. Every two to three weeks, admire their live-paintings to the delight of passers-by and urban culture fans alike.
The Ourcq Canal
Photo credit: Flickr – Guilhem Vellut
The Ourcq Canal resembles an open-air art gallery between Paris and its suburbs. Along the Ourcq « art trail », any surface is a good place for urban art: facades, post boxes, staircases or electrical cabinets.
Your walk or bike ride will take you to the Rue de l’Ourcq, where you’ll see a stretch of wall completely covered in graffiti. Urban artists such as Doudou style, Sitou and Da Cruz, a local graffiti artist, have left their mark.
In fact, the Graffart association organizes numerous events around urban art. Young and old alike can learn graffiti and mosaics at introductory workshops.
Vitry-sur-Seine: Vitryne street art
Photo credit: Shutterstock – EQRoy
We end this overview of street art in Paris with the street art Vytrine in Vitry-sur-Seine, a few kilometers south of the capital. Vitry-sur-Seine has had a fine collection of graffiti on every street corner since the 90s. Christian Guemy or C215 has been contributing to the development of this colorful gallery since 2009. What’s more, their work has even crossed the Atlantic to Los Angeles and our Italian neighbors in Rome.
Discover the monumental fresco by Kouka Ntadi, a Franco-Congolese artist scattered across several building facades on avenue Henri Barbusse. Irish artist Fin Dac has also left his mark on the Glacière district. We promise, we won’t tell you everything! See for yourself the work of Pixel Pancho, Fin Badd, Indigo and Kashink.
3. Street art in Bordeaux
L’espace Darwin
Photo credit: Flickr – Bernard Blanc
Welcome to Espace Darwin on the banks of the Garonne on Bordeaux’s right bank. Once occupied by the military, the Niel barracks became the Darwin camp in the 2000s. It’s not just a place for budding artists to express themselves. Under the impetus of the Évolution group, skateboarders, hip-hop dancers and, of course, graffiti artists now let their creativity explode.
In this important part of Bordeaux culture, you can have a drink, eat out, browse the responsible stores, enjoy the skate park and, of course, admire some of the finest street art in France. In fact, it’s these murals that draw the spotlight to this unusual place. As you stroll through the city, your eyes will want to rest on the art everywhere. Take in the works of Skou 1995, Mimil, Jeff Soto, Laurence Vallière or the Darwin finches at the back of the skate park.
M.U.R aux Chartrons
Photo credit: Flickr – Thierry
As we mentioned earlier, the M.U.R association is spreading its wings in various French cities. In the South-West of France, the association is putting down its bags (or graffiti) on a 35 m2 board in Les Chartrons. Original and ephemeral, these unique works borrow from the formats and rituals of billboard advertising. They blend in so well with the architecture of the district that it has become a Bordeaux landmark.
Jef Aérosol inaugurated the MUR with one of his creations in 2014. This Bordeaux artist gained recognition with his giant fresco on the face of the CHU. His aim is to raise public awareness of breast cancer screening.
4. Street Art in Lyon
The Croix-Rousse district
Photo credit: Flickr – thierry llansades
The Croix-Rousse district began its artistic epic under the impetus of Beaux-Arts students. Their creative genius even gave rise to the famous « fresco of the Lyonnais ». Today, the slopes of Lyon’s famous hillside remain a privileged terrain for various urban artists.
The ephemeral works renew the beauty of these places and the desire to stroll through them regularly. You’ll meet David Bowie’s gaze on rue Neyret, or the very popular Mermet stairs transformed by Wenc. The Prunelle staircase, too, is decked out in bright colors thanks to the neighborhood’s volunteer residents. Every corner hides a pop reference by Happy Curio or geeky mosaics by In the Woop.
Offside Gallery
Photo credit: Facebook – Offside Gallery
The Offside Gallery has been offering a completely different take on urban art since 2016. Every month, this art gallery at Groupama Stadium welcomes established and emerging artists from all over the world. Created within the cultural enclosure, the offer to the public is constantly renewed. This makes it one of the most popular venues for street art enthusiasts. With 1800 m2 of painted surface area, the walls are bursting with color!
5. Street art in Montpellier
Quais du Verdanson
Photo credit: Flickr – chantal
For over 20 years, the quays of the Verdanson have been a paradise for all street art lovers in France. Over a 4 km stretch, this atypical site is home to many nuggets of art that are regularly renewed. The canal’s walls are given a new lease of life by the artists of the moment. More than just a new look, this place of perpetual creation breathes new life into the long canal. In fact, you’re sure to come across graffiti artists hard at work on your urban stroll.
Quartier de l’écusson
Photo credit: Flickr – Fred Romero
Well-known to Montpellier residents, the écusson district is the nerve center of the old town. Holidaymakers and locals alike come here for drinks, shopping and cultural visits.
As you explore the city, look up for just a moment. A whole new facet of the « gifted » city will be revealed before your very eyes. Graffiti, mosaic or collage, street art culture reveals itself in all its forms. Nothing escapes the brushstrokes or graffiti of the artists, from floor to ceiling to walls.
Here, no imposing murals, but small-scale works hidden away like Charlie in the eponymous book. Some of the works have even become cult favorites, like the mosaics of Space Invaders characters or the bicycles hung by Monsieur BMX.
6. Street art in Marseille
The Belle Mai wasteland
Photo credit: Flickr – Isabelle MOREL
As soon as you set foot on the « friche de la belle Mai », you can feel the omnipresence of street art. This former tobacco factory has been rehabilitated as a cultural venue, hosting a host of colorful frescoes, stencils and collages.
Much more than just a place to express yourself, you’ll stroll through a space where families enjoy the skate park, basketball court and shared gardens. Urban artists liven up this 100,000 m2 space in perpetual motion.
The basket district
Photo credit: Flickr – Jeanne Menjoulet
Marseille’s oldest district, the Panier attracts street art enthusiasts and even the curious looking to get off the beaten track. Street art is everywhere you look.
Stroll through the colorful alleyways, discovering the work of famous graffiti artists such as Brazilian Nhobi. After your stroll, we recommend a stop at the Undartground concept store and street art gallery. You’ll see the famous fisherman.
Cours Julien
Photo credit: Flickr – Jeanne Menjoulet
Since the ’80s, the Cours Julien has been a hive of color, just a stone’s throw from the Old Port. Every nook and cranny of the world’s most tagged street (according to Marseilles locals) is home to creations, each more original than the last. Doors, staircases and shop fronts all get a new look for a few weeks.
We recommend going on Sundays when the stores are closed to admire the iron curtains come to life. This ephemeral art regularly brings you face-to-face with new artists on the urban scene. C215, Monsieur Chat and Mahn Kloix are among the best-known on the Cours Ju, as the locals call it.
In 2014, the Fédération Marseille Centre launched the first edition of the Cours Julien street art festival. Artists create live paintings under the watchful eye of local residents and urban art enthusiasts.
7. Painted walls in Angoulême
Photo credit: Flickr – thierry llansades
Angoulême, capital of the comic strip world, is launching a vast program of comic strip murals on its city walls. Street art is immersed in the world of comics along an urban itinerary founded by Cité Création. Some thirty painted walls make up a tourist itinerary recognized by those who walk the cobblestones of Angoulême.
Kirikou, Tintin and Gaston Lagaff tell a new story to whoever finds their location in the city. Behind these creations are even the winners of the Grand Prix at the Angoulême Comics Festival. A great way to showcase your art in a new light.
Street art is everywhere in France for those who know how to unearth the nuggets around them. Which destination will you choose to discover artists from all over the world?