The Oberkampf wall has become a true institution of street art in Paris. For twenty years, the cream of the crop Street artists from France and the world take turns, every two weeks, to keep this essential spot in the 11th arrondissement alive. Today, after 325 creations signed in Oberkampf and nearly 30 walls across France and Belgium, the concept initiated by the association The M.U.R more than ever booming.
At the origin of the concept, a doctored advertising billboard on Rue Oberkampf
On the corner of Rue St Maur and Rue Oberkampf, you'll find one of the capital's most popular street art spots. During a stroll or from the La Place Verte cafe, an 8-metre by 3-metre mural facade Observe. It's the Oberkampf WALL, an open-air street art showcase.
The M.U.R, an acronym for «modular, urban and reactive», is the association behind the concept. Founded in 2003, its objective is to Promoting urban art by re-appropriating public space. Although supported and recognised by the authorities today, it has not always been legal.
It is at the beginning of the 2000s that the artist Thomas Schmitt, said Thom Thom, launches its first actions. The objective? To divert advertising from Oberkampf street; to vandalise it, some would say. A year later, he invites the painter and sculptor Jean Faucheur to stick a poster on these two boards owned by the company Giraudy. Together, they herald the start of a great adventure.
The OBERKAMPF WALL, a space for engaged artistic expression
Very quickly, the circle widened to form a temporary artists' collective. On the night of May 24, 2002, the group intends to replace all advertising posters in the 11th and 20th arrondissements with artworks. The collective One night signs thus his Political manifesto, by questioning the omnipresence of advertising in the city.
More than a destructive act, the group’s transgressive act shows that’Another option is possible. More beautiful, more interactive, more alive: that of street art. At the same time, the association is committed to creating a gateway between artists and the public, to become the spokesperson for’free and accessible art for everyone.
For once, the town hall endorses the initiative in 2007, 5 years after the association's official birth. In collaboration with Clear Channel, the company that manages the Oberkampf billboard, artists have carte blanche on the location. « Advertisers (Decaux, Avenir, Giraudy...) were asked to let us have these spaces, in order to raise public awareness of urban art and bring art into people's lives! » explains Bob Jeudy, president of the M.U.R. association.
The greatest street artists are parading on the Oberkampf wall.
As a nod to advertising displays, which art has supplanted, the Oberkampf wall draws on the periodicity and ephemeral nature of posters. Every fortnight, the wall is cleared and adorned with a new creation.. The association then proposed to urban artists from around the world that they occupy this space.
All techniques are welcome : graffiti, street art, détournements or installations, aerosol, acrylic, glue and ink… The artist is free to write a new page in the history of the wall, in their own image. Several books cataloguing all the creations have also been published by Éditions Hermann.
For over 10 years, the greatest artists have been passing the baton. Among the many participants:Pierre Huygues, Jacques Villeglé, The Atlas, Zeus, Obey or else Miss Tic, – to name but a few. On 17 April 2021, the black and white abstraction of Romain Froquet replaced the colourful portrait of Sitou Matt. A symptomatic transition of the diversity of styles presented. He thus signs the 325e work on the wall, to be seen until 1 May.
The process Live creation, in its own right performance, The curiosity is piqued relentlessly. Passers-by stop, watch the artist at work, and take photos. Everyone takes a selfie, whether a proud tourist or a local resident, a simple onlooker or an inveterate urban art enthusiast.
The association Le M.U.R is successfully developing its concept.
The echo of success of the Oberkampf Wall spread like wildfire. In its wake, it gave rise to 26 new walls, in France and Belgium. The in situ gallery walls hatched in Brussels, Mons, Orléans, Strasbourg, Marseille, Dijon, Bordeaux, or Nancy.
As Bob Jeudy states, the Oberkampf concept has a bright future ahead of it: « Requests are increasing spontaneously. Everyone would like to have their own wall. And now, the reception at the town halls is superb. My satisfaction is seeing this concept multiply and urban art enjoy full recognition. ».
A great victory for street art, revealing the passage from obscurity to prominence experienced by its supporters in recent years.
Writing ©Joana Durbaku
Some past achievements
