Street Art
It wasn’t until after having this unique day out with my son, that my husband mentioned having seen another locality last year whilst one of my sons completed his final year Bac oral which students have to take part in. The Lycée Général Jules Michelet is based in the centre of Montauban, close to the less-than-salubrious quarter of Beausoleil. At the back of the lycée on a secluded walk, you can discover another world. All along the walls and under the bridges is a more “real” graffiti art exhibition. I have to say I thought it was amazing. It is for the more “modern” street art by artists perhaps not yet recognised, but still holding their rightful place in their town. They use these walls to cut their teeth and experiment. Perhaps not a place to come to at night, but with its placement right next to one of the main sixth-form colleges, it is well frequented by the public. The artwork is more raw and rough around the edges, but it just shows that if you know a place well, you can find all sorts of treasures!
Exhibition of the Festival “Mister Freeze”
Amusingly, just on the way out of town heading back home that day, we passed by some huge signs of a Street Artist festival which had just set up an exhibition in an 800m2 warehouse in the northern industrial estate of the town, right near the cinema. It is the tenth year this festival has exhibited work from famous graffiti artists. You can visit this unique festival at five sites, including Toulouse and of course Montauban. Montauban will have a few graffiti artists on exhibition, such as Havrais Jace.
Montauban this year has been chosen to start the festival, being named the “Premier Level” with reference to video games, the second level being held in Toulouse on the 13th May. It will be followed by the third in Perpignan. The locations will be kept secret until the last moment.
Havrais Jace, the graffiti artist who has his work exhibited in Montauban, is famous for his mascot of little yellow men (Gouzou) that in my mind were similar to the Minions. He is a French graffiti artist from La Réunion. His exhibition in Montauban incorporates virtual reality, where you can discover hidden messages within the works of art. It is accessible for a month until the 8th May 2023. A real find.
MidLife Crisis In France
COPYRIGHT Ⓒ 2023
