This exhibition also had to include Swiss stars who are very active on the international scene. We were delighted to see the work of artists Saype and Nicolas Bamert aka l'Original, who have been featured on bythelake, as well as Heurk One, who was recently contacted on Instagram. "One, Two... Street Art" is not limited to Quartier Libre. A tour of the streets of Geneva will feature other performances, including GIS electrical boxes given a new look by 10 artists.
Street art is undeniably the artistic movement of the 21st century. And 2020, marked by the health crisis, has seen the emergence of new talents, openly expressing what the public is thinking! Urban artworks are proudly displayed on city walls, building facades and other public spaces. At Quartier Libre SIG, an exhibition entitled "One, Two... Street Art" is dedicated to this universal expression. It is the fruit of collaboration with the Lyon-based association, Little Beaux-Arts, and the Musée en Herbe in Paris. Both institutions are pioneers in the field of culture for children. A first edition was held in Lyon in 2017.
At the start of this gloomy autumn, here's something to cheer you up and discover the expressive richness of urban art through the works of 50 major Swiss and international artists.
Is there an era that marks the emergence of this artistic expression? Perhaps prehistory, with cavemen eager to communicate for posterity? Or the hieroglyphics of certain ancient civilizations? Without getting into this specialist debate, it's common knowledge that street art has its roots in the United States in the 60s. Urban artists took possession of their territory by affixing their monumental seals to walls, subways, trains... defying the forbidden.
The signature became a work of rebellion, and street art created its own vocabulary: graffiti, tag or blaze. How do these non-violent outlaws operate? In graffiti crews. What's their aim? To challenge, make a statement, make people think, break the codes imposed by society, always at the risk of being fined or arrested, like the iconic Keith Haring caught red-handed by the police in the New York subway (video). Discover the names of some of the most famous artists, such as the Americans Cope 2 and JonOne, the Swiss Smash 137 or the French Zenoy, who have developed a unique and colorful calligraphy.
Street artists have always chosen urban space as their playground. Day and night, they work, sometimes masked, to brighten up cold, gloomy spaces or express their opinions publicly. Our daily lives are dotted with these tagged, graffitied and painted places... and it doesn't shock many people anymore! And yet, most street artists have had run-ins with the law and been sued for vandalism. Attitudes are evolving, times are changing. Most urban artists are operating in the full light of day and within the law.
Flashback to 2008... the American Democratic Party commissioned graffiti artist Shepard Fairey to create Barack Obama's iconic "HOPE" campaign poster! One of today's most controversial contemporary artists is undoubtedly the mysterious Englishman Bansky. Is he a genius or a fraud? Remember the sale at Sotheby's in 2018 and the buzz created by the self-destruction of his work "Girl with balloon, auctioned at 1,200,000 euros!!! Street art has indeed become "bankable". Works have been passing through the doors of museums and galleries for years, and those on show at Quartier Libre come in part from private collections.
With the exception of graffiti, mainly executed with spray cans (see photo), each artist defines his or her own technique (tools, materials) and the mediums on which he or she will perform. These include stencils, stencil brushes, collage, paper, stickers, mosaics, photography and all kinds of recycled materials. A fun, interactive tour of the exhibition lets you discover most of the styles that have been in vogue since the very beginning.
Our favorites are the humor of Clet's hijacked road signs, and Mosko's savannah animals painted on wood. We also pay tribute to women (rarely exhibited here) with the artist Madame and her poetic work composed of collages and words. Headliners include a sculpture inspired by Banksy's Flower Bomber, and a pixelated mosaic by French artist Invader! And when you pass Marko 93's luminous work, don't forget to take a photo - it's a surprise! And let's not forget the performance of artist Erell, who personalized the facades of Quartier Libre with her signature geometric stickers.
This exhibition also had to include Swiss stars who are very active on the international scene. We were delighted to see the work of artists Saype and Nicolas Bamert aka l'Original, who have been featured on bythelake, as well as Heurk One, who was recently contacted on Instagram. "One, Two... Street Art" is not limited to Quartier Libre. A tour of the streets of Geneva will feature other performances, including GIS electrical boxes given a new look by 10 artists.
Keith Haring: "Art is not an elitist activity reserved for the appreciation of a small number of amateurs, it's for everyone". Banksy: "A wall is a formidable weapon. It's one of the most dangerous things you can hit someone with."
text by Sonia Jebsen
