Florence: Clet, 40 € fine for the sign that is already worth 2 thousand, “I don’t smear”
Florence, November 19, 2021 – “I am an artist, I am not a smuggler”. Fine live, under the eye of the cameras of La Nazione, for Clet Abraham, the well-known street artist of French origins who lives in Florence. Known for the changes he makes to road signs, placing stickers on them and playing with the symbols of the Traffic Laws.
An activity that by law cannot be considered at the limit of legality, affecting what are municipal properties. But Clet’s modification signs are now also objects of modern art that can be worth even a few thousand euros. The dispute with the Municipality of Florence has been going on for some time. And on the morning of Friday 19 November, while the videomaker of La Nazione Michele Coppini was describing the character Clet, the traffic police stopped the artist.
Raising him, as has already happened on several occasions, a fine for having, as stated in the report, “Made unusable the signage no entry “. Specifically, in via Calzaiuoili, Clet had affixed one of his stickers depicting in this case a stylized man drinking at a hypothetical counter represented by the white stripe on a red background of the access denied. Clet affixed several of his stickers on Friday. On road signs all to considerable. For this he used a staircase, which he took with him around the historic center.
The traffic police saw the maneuvers and intervened, thus fully fulfilling their duty in supervising the public thing. A quarrel was born, which has never transcended but which has always remained in the canons of civilization. Clet refused the fine, on which it is written, as the minutes always read, “it smeared the road signs“.” I do not smear. I would never dream of insulting a traffic cop and therefore the agents must not insult me. I’m not smearing but my works have a value “.
The fine was 40 euros, which becomes 29 if it is paid within the canonical five days. But the work “created” this morning by Clet could already be worth two thousand.
The story represents the eternal contrast between street art and protection of public affairs: a movement that also has very important exponents, with works listed at the highest level such as those of the famous Banksy. But according to the law, as we know, coloring the walls of buildings or intervening on road signs is not permissible.
Clet’s works are known in many parts of Europe. And during the morning when The nation he told of Clet’s life there were not a few people who stopped him asking him for a photo. The prices of Clet’s works are in some cases quite high. A modified entry ban with a stylized man who “sculpts” the white stripe is priced at 2690 euros on the web. Same amount or a little more for a no parking where the oblique red strip becomes a belt that opens.
“There was a legal matter relating to my art but I was acquitted – he says Clet – With my works I want to make people think but I am neither a smuggler nor a vandal. The changes I make are created with stickers that can be easily removed. Furthermore, I do not modify the road signs, if anything I embellish them. “A diatribe that has been going on for some time and that in via Calzaiuoli has seen the birth of a new episode.
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