It is certainly the street art news everyone is talking about right now, and what’s more, it’s a great insider tip since visits to Tour Paris 13 are free (though, given the wait time is about 7 hours, it’s still pricey if you consider that time is money…).
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of going there myself, but my star writer and street art specialist, Alla Goldshteyn, has put together a presentation and a photo tour of the premises for those who won’t have the chance to get there before it closes at the end of the month.
Tour Paris 13 is undoubtedly the biggest street art project of 2013.
10 floors, 36 apartments, 4,500m2 of floor space, 80 street artists from all over the world, culminating in the demolition of the building on October 31st.
If you haven’t seen it yet, hurry up to discover this must-see street art exhibition organized by the Itinerrance gallery in this building slated for demolition.
Street artists such as C215, Katre, El Seed, Rapto, Pantonio, Lek & Sowat, Guy Denning, HOPNN, Marko 93, Stew… participated in this large-scale project aiming to transform the building into a real ephemeral museum, which is proving to be, without a doubt, the largest street art exhibition in the world to date.
Originating from 16 different countries, the artists used their creativity and most daring techniques to make the building a true urban art festival.
It’s a journey of discovery after discovery, from spray paint or chalk drawings to the famous Brazilian “pichação” created by real acrobats, as well as light painting, 3D collages, a multitude of secret rooms and hidden passages, and even a breathtaking pointillist reproduction of the Sistine Chapel, revealed in the mischievous reflection of a small silver ball….
In Tour Paris 13, each artist takes us into their own world for an unexpected, unique, and exciting journey.
In his interview for the blog, the founder of the Itinerrance gallery, Mehdi Ben Cheikh, who is also a doctor of plastic arts and taught the subject for 8 years, describes this project as a real artistic and cultural exchange between several generations and different schools of street artists, who spent nearly 7 months together to carry out this major project.
Discovering the wonders of Tour Paris 13, it’s hard to imagine the building will be demolished on October 31st. But as Mehdi Ben Cheikh points out, “the destruction of the tower is an artistic performance in its own right, which will unfold according to a scenario set up by Thomas Lallier (who is directing a documentary on the tower and has been following the adventure from the beginning), which will allow for unique footage of the demolition from inside the building.” Ultimately, he adds, “the destruction of the tower is part of the continuity of the experience: one should not cling to material things, but live the project as an adventure.”
So, don’t miss the opportunity to experience this exciting adventure for yourself!
Head to 5 rue Fulton, Paris 13 (free admission Tuesday to Sunday, 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM, last entry at 7:15 PM)
The Insider Tip: You’ll have better luck arriving early in the morning, around 9:00 AM, to be able to get in relatively quickly when the doors open at 12:00 PM.
