A derelict block of flats standing on the banks of the River Seine has been given a fluorescent revamp, turned into a gallery of street art attracting public attention and hoards of eager fans who queue round the block.
Over the past year, over 100 street artists from around the world worked in secret in the unoccupied flats of “Tour Paris 13”, formerly social housing, before the block is torn down in favour of new, more modern apartments.
The building is living its last moments in style, decorated for its final days with a giant drape created by Keith Haring, one of the most celebrated graffiti artists of the 20th century.
The exhibition, which takes visitors through nine floors of abandoned flats, has proved to be a hit. Opened at the beginning of the month, the tower is set to close on October 31 before being slowly demolished so time is running out for people who want to see some of the best street artists of the moment.
Safety measures — meaning only 49 people are allowed in at a time — have led to lengthy queues with some visitors being made to wait for hours.
There is no magic formula guaranteeing entry: you need to be first in line.
“I came yesterday to check it out and people had arrived very early and the queue was very long, there was no chance I would make it, so I decided to come at five thirty. So I was one of the first ones to arrive and now I’m here and it is looking good for me. Others have queued for nine hours, and I’m going to queue for 5 hours, maybe 4 hours,” Mexican student Daniel said on Friday (October 25).
Once inside, a small lift takes visitors to the ninth floor where the exhibition begins. In each flat, several artists have re-decorated the former living spaces from floor to ceiling.
Exhibition curator Mehdi Ben Cheick said that as the visitor passes from floor to floor, the exhibition allows the public to enter the different artists’ worlds.
“You can go through the works of art, you’re not just here to look at them or see them from a distance, you enter inside it, you go under the artist’s skin, you perceive his world and you go from one world to another, and that’s for 105 artists, from 18 different countries,” street art specialist and exhibition creator Cheick said.
Organisers say that the concentration of works and the scale of the place makes this the biggest ever street art exhibition with 4,500 square metres through 36 flats.
Despite the unexpected success, diggers and cranes are gearing up to tear down the tower block.
But organisers say the destruction will also be part of the artistic performance.
After it closes, demolition workers will start dismantling the walls in a circle from top to bottom, uncovering the entrails of the building and exposing the artists’ work to the outside world, with the whole event filmed by scores of cameras and broadcast live on the internet.
Franco-Tunisian artist El Seed, who decorated one of the flats but also was given a facade which he decorated with oriental calligraphy, said the collaboration had been a magical experience.
“What is interesting is being with so many artists in the same place and to be part of this buzzing artistic concentration and to see this mix between all the different styles. There are artists from Australia, from the United Sates, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and each one of them brought their own touch, inspired by their culture, legacy and history and you can feel it as you go through each flat,” El Seed said.
It is highly recommended for potential visitors to arrive very early with a folding chair. The gallery opens at 10am (0900gmt) and entrance is free.
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