VINGT Paris Magazine

Bonom takes art to the skies: can graffiti be legal?

 Text: Rooksana Hossenally. Images: various.

No one really knows this mysterious chimpanzee who swings from building to building, spray cans and rollers at the ready. Like all superheroes, the artist who goes by the name of ‘Bonom’, wears a mask and never reveals his real identity. Scouring the city for large wall spaces, he prefers to work at night within the city’s shadows. One of Paris’ most respected 'clandestine' artists, Bonom is also one of the most prolific.

You may have seen his monumental works of intricate animal skeletons and other  creatures floating close to the sky  on the non-descript grey façades of various buildings. His works are dashed with an eerie quality making them instantly recognisable. Most are found in the 11th district of Paris; if you look up at number 123, rue Vielle du Temple in the Marais, you will see his enormous, somewhat gory, boar on a spit (pictured above). For his minotaur you’ll have to go to rue de la Traversière towards Ledru Rollin. As for the myriad fish bones and other animal figures, we won’t spoil the surprise; they will without doubt jump out at you from hidden corners when you least expect it. The artist is also very present in Brussels and Luxembourg but little else is know about him. Footage filmed by a Belgian television channel, shows him at work on a ten storey building - the scale of the piece alone makes it one of the most impressive of his works. In addition to his artistic skill, he is also nifty at climbing and abseiling, enabling him to reach the most difficult spots well away from City Hall's cleaning squads.

Paris Hip Hop Festival Kick Off

 

Text: Rooksana Hossenally. 

Video and images: Paris Hip Hop.

Kicking off what everyone is hoping will be the start of a long hot sizzling summer in the capital, Paris Hip Hop, the annual festival dedicated to rap and urban culture, in association with the city of Paris authorities, Hip Hop Citoyens association and Generations 88.2 radio, has finally published the line-up of its fifth edition. The much-awaited festival will unravel in various venues throughout the capital and its banlieues from 22^nd June to 4^th July where 300 artists will put in an appearance spread over 15 concerts, film showings, debates, live battles and more in celebration of the Hip Hop movement. 

You may have already seen posters for the high profile Nas and Damian Marley gig at the Zénith on the 28^th June, considered as one of the festival’s major highlights. There will be a range of artists from all over the globe, but the real heavy weights will be French artist Rocé at the Point Ephémère on 23^rd June, which if he gives a performance like at the Glaz’Art Neo night back in the winter, promises to be something to remember. Next on the list of unmissables is the French freestyling group Sages Poètes and Detroit-born Obie Trice gig on 29^th June as well as the brilliant London-born Foreign Beggars on the following night.  Another one not to miss is the grand French master DJ Dee Nasty at the Paris Hip Hop block party on the 27^th. The other events could be hit or miss but if you want to guarantee yourself a good solid time, take our advice. To get yourself into the vibe, watch the Paris Hip Hop Teaser which is guaranteed to get your ears yearning for some live funky Hip Hop sounds!

Paris Art Squat Scene

Text and image: Rooksana Hossenally
Image: Les Frigos

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by Paris’ myriad art galleries and monumental museums. If you’re new in the city and you’re looking to break into the scene, “FORGET IT!!” the city seems to be screaming, the art scene appears impenetrable. If you’re trying to get in through the Louvre’s front door, forget it unless you’re personally acquainted with Henri Loyette - that’s ‘Monsieur Director of the Louvre’ to you and me. The good news is that you can always slip in through the back door - and yes, there is a back door.

Sandwiched between homes in residential areas, art has taken over abandoned buildings where a rich cultural life of concerts, debates, exhibitions, lectures and workshops unravels in clandestine venues. Artist squats have always been a popular and well-known part of the city’s art scene due to the unbelievable amounts of empty buildings. Artist squats such as MACAQ, one of the most politically active, have been urging the government to open its eyes to the number of empty properties in the city vis a vis the horrifyingly high costs of renting in Paris.  Jeudi Noir - La Marquise in the Place des Vosges, no less, is another example of this activism; by successfully forcing their way into vacant buildings and setting up shop, these Associations  (non-profit organisations, the common way to formalise a squat structure) have pushed the government to face the issue. As it is near impossible for artists to find studio and workshop space squats have proven to be the perfect solution. iI doesn't hurt that the laws on squatting historically allowed occupancy  of a disused space to carry out a creative activity although these rights have been significantly eroded in the last five years since Sarkozy's rise to power.  Today there are a number of squats which are still fighting to stay open and others which have won the battle and are now ‘legalised’.  See our article from 2005 for more history.

Jeudi-Noir Open Doors at Place des Vosges - La Marquise

Text: Joanna Bronowicka
Photo: F. Guillot

This Saturday, February 20, from 2pm to 8pm, the activists from an association Jeudi-Noir are opening doors of 1 bis place des Vosges. The building has been abandoned for 44 years until the activists from Jeudi-Noir chose it for a site of occupation to raise awareness about the housing issue in Paris. They have recently lost their case in court and were expected to pay a 10.000 Euros fine until January 25 for their occupation and 25.000 every month starting from that date. They have decided to appeal and ask for meditation with possible re-housing. Meanwhile, the building has become a rich cultural site, which hosts film screenings, rehearsals, meetings, seminars and workshops.  Every Monday the inhabitants propose a film screening about a different theme.

The program for tomorrow includes expositions of photos, paintings and sculptures with the support of artists from 59 rue de Rivoli, concerts, including the group Jolie môme, guided tours focused on the history of the building and much more. For more information visit the Facebook site of the association. Enter the building through 11 bis rue Birague, Métro Saint-Paul.

A Round-up of Paris Graffiti Events

Text: Rooksana Hossenally
Image: Galerie VitryJam

The graffiti movement’s success last year, kick-started by the event: ‘TAG at the Grand Palais’, closely followed by the Fondation Cartier’s ‘Born in the Streets’ (‘Né dans la Rue’)  is now underway, for 2010.  Here's what’s on until March.

Currently at the Galerie Bailly Contemporain, catch the Photo/Graff: Photos of Subway Art 70’s and 80’s exhibition in the last few days before it ends tomorrow, Saturday. The gallery teams up with Taxie Gallery in the 7th and puts two of the movement’s most famous photographers’, Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant, works on show.

Celebrate Carnival in Paris

Text: Joanna Bronowicka
Photo: Maciej Zgadzaj

Did you think you have to go to Rio de Janeiro or Venice to celebrate the Carnival? This year, forget these obvious destinations and join the Carnival celebrations in Paris! On Sunday, February 14th at 2.30pm, the Carnival de Paris procession will start from Place Gambetta, reach Belleville at 4pm and Place de la République at 5.15pm before winding up on the square in front of the Hôtel de Ville at 7pm. If you want to get into the festive mood the night before, at Cabaret Sauvage, Brazilian artists will bring to you the samba, pagode and batucada beats straight from Rio de Janeiro.

Celebrating carnival in Paris is a tradition that dates back to the 16th century, when the medieval tradition of the annual Feast of Fools was condemned by the Catholic Church and gradually replaced with Promenade du Bœuf Gras, the Fat Cow Parade. In the 19th century the Carnival parade reassembled as many as 400 thousand people, but in the 20th century it declined in popularity. In 1954, due to logistic problems, the tradition disappeared altogether from the streets of Paris until 1997 when local associations brought it back to life.

Join VINGT at 59 rue de Rivoli - L'Aftersquat

Originally a squat occupied by the KGB (Kalex, Gaspard and Bruno), three artists have been at the forefront of the renovation of 59 rue de Rivoli and attracted many more to the group (an Association Loi 1901).

In days gone by the squat was threatened with expulsion even though it was allegedly the third most visited contemporary art venue in Paris. Ten years passed between legal issues and renovation and finally, on September 9 the centre re-opened with a new name "L'Aftersquat", under Paris City Hall sponsorship.

Danielle Voirin, a photographer who has documented the lives of many of the artists through a long-running project, covered the opening.  Join VINGT Paris for a special visit to 59 Rivoli/L'aftersquat and meet 22 artists from 10 different countries.

Sunday September 27th at 6:00 p.m. 

Olivier Kosta-Théfaine, surfin' the street

There is nowhere to live but the city – and if art doesn’t work he plans to "become a chef" - Susie Hollands and Araceli Salgado Pintor meet with banlieusard artist Olivier Kosta-Théfaine.

 

Olivier Kosta-Théfaine obviously has an abrasive relationship with Paris. His street art, once decried by the authorities, is now hung in the most fashionable galleries of Paris. When Olivier came round to talk to VINGT, it became clear from our discussions that his outwardly casual manner hides an artist who adores to play on this tension. 

Over the years, we've learnt to be watchful of irony and humor in his work.  On his website Olivier declares: “Je ne suis pas un Parisien, je suis un banlieusard, et je porte cette étiquette comme on porte une particule. Je suis un pur produit de la banlieue.” Coming from Sartrouville, a Parisian suburb, Olivier decided to explore the world outside his “cité” taking art as his flag and the street experience as his muse.

Né dans la rue - Landmark Graffiti Expo at Fondation Cartier

The Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain presents "Né dans la rue", on view from July 7 to November 29, 2009. Occupying the entire gallery space of the Fondation Cartier, as well as the building’s façade and surrounding garden, the exhibition brings to light the extraordinary development of an artistic movement that was born in the streets of New York in the early 1970s to rapidly become a worldwide phenomenon.

Today, graffiti has entered the cultural mainstream, crossing over to the realms of studio art, design and advertising. Yet, despite its immense popularity, this essentially illegal activity continues to evolve at the periphery of the contemporary art world, its origins and history little-known to the general public.
This exhibition attempts to sketch the general contours of a subject that is vast and complex, a form of expression that has come to embrace many different techniques, ideas and styles.

The exhibition traces the origins of the graffiti movement while offering a panorama of the diversity of contemporary writing. It provides the public with the opportunity to rediscover an art both ubiquitous and continually evolving, and thus relate to the city in a new way.

10 Ans de la Galerie Magda Danysz

The Galerie Magda Danysz celebrates its 10 years in Paris. For the occasion, the gallery's team have prepared a big celebration to take place alongside JonOne’s solo show opening, Saturday, July 4th.

A main figure in Parisian street art, JonOne is first and foremost from New York, importing influences from his old stomping grounds.

True to his origins, the artist continues to create powerful pieces, sharing the culture of the street art movement which he defends so strongly. This next exhibition will be showing his latest creations, exposing his signature abstract style. To be his biggest show yet!