STREET ART THE BANKSY REBEL FRESKS EXHIBITED IN PARIS

"With this immersive exhibition, we wanted to stay in Banksy's rebellious and revolutionary spirit. I wanted to create an emotional shock so that people better understand his work and his messages of love and peace, "says Hazis Vardar space manager Lafayette-Drouot

Come re-discover his works at the space Lafayette-Drouot who saw the big picture: the exhibition - which wants to be immersive - extends over 1,200 m² and three floors, partly underground. The necessary place to accommodate the 42 frescoes, made on concrete walls several meters high.

The immersive exhibition devoted to the star artist of street - art opens its doors this Thursday, June 13 in Paris. You will have an exciting walk to better understand the work of Banksy.

The Bristol unknown

Internationally renowned today, after several media hits, the artist loves to shock, provoke, disrupt society and that is what makes all the beauty of his work. It has imposed on the world its ability to break the rules by proposing a complex vision of society

Originally from Bristol, admired from New York to Paris, through Palestine each of its traces leaves on the walls of the detonating memories.

Through the presentation of a hundred works, some original and others reconstructed, the exhibition plunges us into the heart of the world of the mysterious and rebellious artist known worldwide for his fight against injustice and violence.

Frescoes by Banksy, a street-art pope whose face and identity are unknown , are magnificently displayed. The exhibition was also able to count on the loan of private collectors. A total of 51 works by the British street artist are displayed.

A committed work

In a first room the visitor begins the exhibition including seeing rat stencils, animal dear to the artist to denounce the tricks of our society. Then the visitor comes out of the shadows to find himself projected into a concrete decor in the Middle East. "Bethlehem Land", the wall mural of Bethlehem on which Banksy painted a donkey and a soldier side by side is reproduced on a wall 5 m high.

It denounces the Israeli occupation of Palestine. With the sound of a buzzing helicopter, "Fouille in rule", which represents a girl and a soldier, moves the walker, as well as "The dove of peace" or the "Launcher of flowers".

Then the visitor wanders in the vast and dark room dedicated to the Parisian works of Banksy realized last year. It is there that is exposed, repeated identically by several artists, "The young woman weeping at the door of Bataclan" with at his feet, a candle and some roses.

This painting, made in tribute to the 90 victims of November 13, 2015, was stolen six months later, raising widespread indignation. You can also admire "The girl covering a swastika", a drawing discovered along the Paris ring road near a former reception center for migrants.

Frescoes reproduced identically

"With this immersive exhibition, we wanted to stay in Banksy's rebellious and revolutionary spirit. I wanted to create an emotional shock so that people could better understand his work and his messages of love and peace, "says Hazis Vardar, Lafayette-Drouot space manager.

If the fifty or so original works of the artist, framed, comes from private collections, the many frescoes have been made on site by the identical by a dozen street artists from around the world. All at first had refused the proposal of this institution. "But when they realized that they had carte blanche to reconstruct real-scale streets in order to recontextualize Banksy's work, they all agreed," says Hazis Vardar. It was with the help of five workers that they managed to paint collectively 24 hours a day for a month.

And all wished as their master to remain anonymous to prolong the mystery ...

"The World of Banksy Exhibition: The Immersive Experience", from June 13 to July 31, 2019, at Espace Lafayette-Drouot, 44, rue du Faubourg Montmartre. (Paris 9th).