Arcachon's Bassin, street-art colors
Highlighted, exposed to view and appreciated by all, far from resembling the marginal graffiti that marked their time, urban art is now displayed without being concealed. Posted in broad daylight on the walls of our cities by artists from all over France, mixing styles, mediums and influences, far from the sprays that make it famous, street-art engages, brings together, questions.
Photography student in the Bordeaux region, Lola, has chosen this atypical support, to come and discover the Bassin of Arcachon, accompanied throughout its journey by Anne Sophie Jean, muralist project manager. Together they traveled Arcachon, La Teste de Buch and Ares, pioneer cities who have bet on art to challenge and bring together all generations.
Other than for the pleasure of the eyes, the street-art is a real territorial asset, a brute force, which seduces, disturbs but leaves no one indifferent. Wild Escapes at the Test, Look at ! in Ares, Off Season in Arcachon, one like the other of these routes invites curiosity, encourages the public to take advantage of soft mobility to multiply the time of stopover and contemplation.
Commissioned by municipalities of Arcachon and Buch's test, in the service of art and culture, Anne Sophie Jean develops from blank and exposed walls projects that make sense for the entire population. Accompany artists in their time of creation, lead mediation steles, exchange with locals, collect their emotions live, it is the reality on the ground that forges the energy of this passionate young person. Art as a springboard for discussion is on the Teste de Buch market, with passers-by, that she make an appointment with the student to introduce her to this life philosophy.
Wild Escapes
Fragmented during a week of work, on this new edition, three artists succeeded Love, Hartley Red, John Rooble and Kegrea, to come and color the walls of the city. Halfway between the digital and impressionist painting techniques, Matthew Pommier took possession of the outer wall of Les Halles, to affix a triptych, graphic, lively that goes from reality to abstraction. Inspired by our territory, this young Vendéen to transpose his photos, on a panoramic format to form a mural, architectural and structured work. Divided into three parts which answer each other and are in opposition in their subject, the crowd-saturated beach refocuses on the essentials, more discreet scenes of life, which on a palette of distinct colors, extend from the small pine shoot, at more abstract plant. Away from men and collective carelessness, this is how nature takes back its rights.
A little further, on the walls of the Miquelots neighborhood center, otherwise called the bird house, Scaf brings its public, family and intergenerational, to change perspectives. Specialist of anamorphosis, this graffiti artist in the true sense of the term, mixes realism and optical illusion, to give the impression that his work can leave the frame, take flight and escape from the wall.
Close to all those who make the town live, Paul Painting imagine for him local, intimate formats which allow him to rub shoulders with the inhabitants of Cazaux. ATworkshops for adults, collective fresco for the children of the summer camp, where he goes, the artist leaves traces of his passage, indelible in the hearts of all. Spontaneous in his approach, he shares, transmits, traces his works to the soul of a place and makes art accessible to all generations.
Near the Henry d'Heurle college, the artist Red was asked about her vision of animality to give life to a monumental facade. Without getting rid of the finesse of the drapes which make her features recognizable among all, the painter has chosen to represent a woman breastfeeding her baby to fight against the sexualization of bodies and raise thus the taboos surrounding that of women. A committed work, of public utility on the outskirts of a bend frequented by young people and their families.
Out of season
In residence on Arcachon for almost a year, the accustomed to large formats Hartley Red and visual artist Luka Merlet mixed their arts in order to let emerge Dear Matilda, a temporary exhibition that combines street-art, oil painting, cutting, photography and poetry. Mandated by the municipality and inspired by the life stories of those who in the shadows make the local economy throb, the two artists have chosen to anchor the walls of the city from the snippets of stories heard during their immersion.
Even more telling than the rest of his achievements, on the Port of Arcachon, near the auction, Rouge deploys all its talent to highlight the full range of small, essential trades, which, like the street sweeper, give hope for social advancement through professional development. In each of his works, like a cry, the artist camouflages a message, of hope, of love in the beauty of her features.
The anamorphoses of Sebastien Sweo also take possession urban space in the heart of the city ! Living works, which invite spectators to fall back into childhood during a stroll.
Scattered around the city center, these works are completed by colorful diverted furniture and flowered arches.
MIRA, an open-air museum
Local reference in terms of Street Art, the curious brewery encourage the production of urban art and support the work of artists. Every semester on the occasion of Mira Art's Week, MIRA command of new works to renew its facade in order to let the previous ones begin their roaming in strategic places where art acts as a balm, an outlet, for those who need it (hospitals, health centers, etc.). Taking advantage of this original setting, Anne Sophie guides the young student in this extraordinary place where art, free, omnipresent is expressed in all its forms. Far from the formal and worldly side that a gallery inspires, in all humility MIRA offers a space of contemplation of more than 300m2, accessible to all and completely free.
LOOK AT!
Pioneer in the promotion of the arts in the public space, for the second consecutive year, the city of Ares proposed a second edition of its festival Look at !, A summary of ambulatory, family works and honoring theater, dance and aerobatic companies. In accordance with the will ofintegrate art into its urban landscape, artists such as Kafe Korse, Selor, Mocha, Blade transformed a twenty electrical transformers. Plural in their way of approaching art, eclectic in their style, all agreed around the same constraint, promote the fauna and flora of the territory.
Distributed in several areas of the city, accessible by bike or on foot, their achievements reflect the strength and fragility of our ecosystem and give a new dimension to what the eye preferred to conceal until then. So if art has the power to reveal the invisible, Ares has won its bet to sublimate it!
In total, it is almost 13 transformers that have been customized in the 4 corners of the town ! You can find all of these works on : City of Arès – (ville-ares.fr)
Find all of our leisure and activity providers via this guide, and all of our tourist providers on our Bassin Arcachon application (available on Apple & Android)
✏️ Article by Mélanny RODRIGUES, @_studiohibou
