Street Art: Guided Tours of Paris Honoring Women Artists

The lack of women occupying public spaces in France is stark: only 2% of street names are named after a woman. 76% of women feel unsafe on the streets at night according to a 2022 YouGov study. It is therefore not surprising that few of them feel ready to practice street art, which is underground art made on the street in the evening or at night.

Feminists in the City, an agency specializing in feminist guided tours created in 2018, proposes to put an end to this masculine and too masculine image of this street art by offering a guided tour of this feminine and feminist street art.

Freedom, equality and power

2:30 p.m., Sunday, March 12th. Sonia, a tour guide for feminists at the City Agency since 2019, welcomes visitors to the Moulin de Pré Passage. They are already marveling at the many frescoes that surround them. There are four women and a couple there.

The visit begins with the history of Butte-aux-Cailles: in the 16th century this region was a country village at the gates of Paris but was not yet part of it. In 1860, Butte-aux-Cailles was attached to the 13th arrondis*****t of the capital. This place, steeped in history, has retained its old charm making it friendly, intimate and at a human height away from the grand Haussmann buildings. Then Sonya asks the first question to all the visitors: “SIf you had to define feminism in one word, which one would it be?The answers are varied: freedom, equality or even power. But it’s already time to wander through the streets of the neighborhood to admire the walls covered with works of street art. On the right, on the left, in height or even on the floor, they are everywhere, passers-by no longer know where They are looking.

Ecology, Pop Culture, and Feminism

Part of the wall has been painted over by street artist Show Show Art. currency Warm hearts and not the planet It is a commitment to the environment and the preservation of biodiversity: “Love is always the driving force behind all graffiti. Warmth of Hearts brings us back to the meaning and impact of our daily actions. Every one of our actions has an impact on the planet. We are all responsible for our environment. Love is the key to this awareness and profound change in our actions through our consumer societysays the artist. Show Show Art She does not necessarily consider herself a feminist.

Continuing a few more streets, visitors discover the work of OJA, the graphic designer, who pays homage to pop culture figures like Andy Warhol and Mylène Farmer. Decor evocative of a sacred place, always with a well-chosen quote, elegant graphics and popular colors, the perfect ****tail to impress passersby. “jI wanted not just to plaster faces on the street but to give them meaning, with a series of signs, both personal and cultural, of interest to me or those being represented. I also like to apply the initials of the character, it’s like a game, the audience has to guess who the person they are looking at is. Even if it is directly identifiable in most casesStreet artist captivated.

In the corner of Barrault’s clip, the face of feminist lawyer Giselle Halimi appears on a large red stamp bearing the modified French motto: “Freedom, legality and femininityCaroleBCallage’s work highlights figures who have had a historical impact on women’s rights in France, such as the famous judge and state lady Simone Veil, who was honored in 2018. Mentor Sonia says:Here the work deteriorates but when you do street art you have to accept that some people do not agree with the message conveyed“.

Different techniques and messages

Visitors’ eyes seem to be drawn to a black and white work, executed in dotted lines. Passionate about Africa, street artist Lady Bug is fascinated by African faces. To draw black shapes, use Stippling technique with the help of hand-cut stencils. A process that allows you to play on the contrast of black and white. For smaller figures, she uses traditional brushes and acrylic paint.

Between the two windows of the bar is a woman dressed in black and wearing stiletto heels, accompanied by a message: “Time series misleadMiss Teck, a well-known artist since the 1980s, disappeared last May, leaving behind several works in the capital. Butte-aux-cailles was his home field. Her peculiarity: a tall brunette made with stencils and eye-catching and poetic slogans. She has made a place for herself Too fast in this masculine world of urban art.

Another street, another universe. The character Louyz is colorful and animal. By paying attention to the wild and mysterious side of animals, she discovers thousands of possibilities for expression and an infinite choice of textures, coats, scales, colors… She chose the lizard because shehe Is there, on our walls, without a sound, but always with an eye watching usThe street artist also likes the idea of ​​small animals that are so big they look like dinosaurs from another time.

Mirror on the entrance gates of the house. surprising. The “Mais oui tu es belle” initiative consists of installing mirrors everywhere in the streets of Paris with this sentence written in white: “But yes, you are beautifulA reference to the story of Snow White when the Queen asks the mirror: “My beautiful mirror, who is the most beautiful in the kingdom? It’s also a message of “body positivity” toward women who don’t live well with society’s dictates of physical appearance.

After two hours and several thousand steps, visitors seem happy with their journey through the streets of this lively and inspiring area. Everyone assures him:We will return for another thematic visit“.

Feminists in town It now offers 13 different tours: sexual liberation as told by hysterics, feminist terror in Pere Lachaise, strong or rebellious women in Paris or even women in the Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre and the Château de Versailles. It’s a way to honor these women artists who are often forgotten. To celebrate the agency’s five years in existence, the team presents an all-new thematic visit available from March 29, 2023: France, Women and Equal Rights.