Le Mur (urban art)

Le MUR, an acronym for "modulable, urban, and reactive," is a French association founded in 2003 with the goal of promoting contemporary and, in particular, urban art. It is a non-profit organization under French law (1901) and was founded by the French painter and sculptor Jean Faucheur, the situationist Thomas Louis Jacques Schmitt, known as "Thom Thom," Malitte Matta, and the art collector Bob Jeudy.

Jacques Villeglé at Le MUR

The association offers urban artists and graffiti artists the chance to showcase their work temporarily on a wall located at 107 rue Oberkampf in the 11eme arrondissement of Paris, France. A new artist presents their work every two weeks, replacing the previous one, thereby continuing the tradition of ephemeral urban art.

It is the initial spot of the street art movement in Paris in April 2000. Le Mur was at this time an advertising billboard was firstly hijacked by artist Hephaestus in spring 2000.

In 2007 it became an officially sanctioned street exhibition space.

Twenty cities have now their own "Mur" in france among them Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Toulon, Nancy, Epinal, Mulhouse, Tours, Cherbourg, or Orléans.

History

According to an interview with Jean Faucheur and Thomas Schmitt, from May 2000 to March 2001, the double billboard at the intersection of Oberkampf and Saint Maur Streets in Paris's 11th arrondissement became a "spot" for Parisian urban art. Much like a vertical squat, the two "4 by 3" panels, managed at the time by the company Giraudy, were systematically altered by Thomas Schmitt, which led to encounters with artists like Nomad, Vast, and L'Atlas. This marked the infiltration of street art in the 13th arrondissement, despite the uniform decor reminiscent of Jacques Tati, where Schmitt cut posters at the corner of Place Verte and Oberkampf Street, which later became M.U.R.

In March 2001, Thomas Schmitt invited Jean Faucheur to paste a poster on the altered billboard. Faucheur displayed a series of works created ten years earlier, starting with the tricolored scene Gran' Popa Scalp. This was followed by a series of samples. By 2002, the circle expanded into a temporary artist collective named One Night, whose goal was to replace the advertising posters in the 11th and 20th arrondissements with original works measuring 4 meters by 3, created in the art squat of the Arts et Toits association. Their first action took place on May 24, 2002.

In September 2002, during the filming of Youssou N'Dour and Pascal Obispo's music video So Many Men, the wall was completely covered in blue paper for special effects. After the shoot, Thom Thom created a double mega logo.

"Reserved for Autistics" Period (2003–2007)

In early 2003, the Giraudy double panel was removed and replaced by Dauphin with a plexiglass-covered panel and a smaller one (200x150 cm). An accompanying sign read, "Notice to artists, this panel is reserved for you to express your creativity." Hours later, Thom Thom altered it to "Notice to autistics, etc." This situation persisted until 2007, during which time two more "One Night" actions took place in May 2003 and May 2005.

In March 2003, the association's statutes were filed, and the concept of a "wall-gallery" was proposed to authorities. The Committee for Art in the City gave its approval in September 2005.

First Official Period (2007–February 2009)

The official inauguration took place on January 25, 2007, in the presence of Georges Sarre. The first "legally pasted" poster was created by Gérard Zlotykamien. A temporary double panel was installed by Clear Channel on behalf of the city hall, and restoration work was announced. The final poster pasted on the "green MUR" was by RERO.

Second Official Period (Since May 2009) The new MUR (colored brown) started in June 2009 with a phosphorescent poster by Pierre Huyghe, paying tribute to Manhu, a deceased member of the Ripoulin Brothers. From August to December 2009, the MUR presented posters first exhibited at the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain as part of the Born in the Streets – Graffiti exhibition. In October 2010, Le MUR/The Wall, a book-catalogue compiling all works displayed since Gérard Zlotykamien, was published by Kitchen 93.

The MUR Today

Artists are free to choose their methods of working on the panel, using materials such as spray paint, acrylics, glue, and ink. They generally create works measuring 3 by 8 meters, though this is also optional.

In 2009, the association collaborated with the Born in the Streets – Graffiti exhibition, which ran from July 7, 2009, to January 10, 2010, at the Cartier Foundation. Artists like Alëxone, the 1980 collective, Fancie, Jean Faucheur, and others were invited to create works in public, which were displayed on the Oberkampf wall.

400ML Project

The MUR also manages the "400ML Project," an exhibition initiated by collectors Mathilde and Gautier Jourdain, featuring custom-painted spray cans by urban artists worldwide. When Jean Faucheur gifted a custom can to Gautier Jourdain, he did not anticipate that it would lead to a two-year project resulting in a collection of 400 cans by 400 international artists. The project's name refers to the standard European capacity of a spray can (400 milliliters). The collection was first exhibited in November 2008 at the Maison des Métallos in Paris, and since then, it has become a traveling exhibition.

Political Engagement

During the 2022 legislative elections, a pro-NUPES mural by Mode2 was displayed on the MUR, sparking accusations of "illegal promotion" from the right-wing opposition. Bob Jeudy, one of the founders, was also close to politician Philippe Séguin.

Further reading

• Thomas Schmitt, Une Nuit, Kitchen 93, 2005, ISBN 2-85980-007-7
• Jean Faucheur, Thomas Schmitt, Le Mur /The Wall, Kitchen 93, 2010, ISBN 2-85980-015-8, ISBN 978-2-85980-015-4
• Tristan Manco, Street Logos, Thames & Hudson, 2004, ISBN 978-0-500-28469-8
• Patrick Nguyen & Stuart Mackenzie, Beyond the Street: The 100 Leading Figures in Urban Art, Die Gestalten Verlag, 2010. ISBN 978-3-89955-290-4, (p. 185)

External links

• a review on paris.untappedcities.com
• official flash site