This city located near Toulouse erects walls in free access for street art
By Florian Mutafian
Published on
A Castanet Tolosanthe specialists of street art and graffiti have a new place of expression specially created for them. Indeed, the town hall has set up three walls of free expression in Argyroupoli square, near the Jacques-Brel cultural centre. A device launched at the beginning of October on the occasion of the inauguration of the renovation of the premises. The concept is called “Walls – Arts in freedom! ». The name echoes the “Concerts in freedom! »launched in 2021 and aiming to distribute music outside the town’s performance halls.
The idea is expected the same: develop artistic creation outdoorshere for urban graphic arts thanks to walls of free expression in the public space. “A veritable open-air gallery”, comments Catherine Labrouedeputy mayor of Castanet-Tolosan in charge of culture, in a press release from the town hall.
Ephemeral works
The walls of Argyroupoli Square, with a size of about three by four meters, have been reported set up by the town hall for this operation. A request from the inhabitants following a consultation, it is specified at the town hall.
These urban paintings are self-managed by the artists. The works are ephemeral. Users will regularly repaint the walls in order to start from scratch and allow everyone to express their art.
Street art and beyond
Moreover, the town hall is waiting to see as well as street art (graffiti, collage, stencil…) that more diverse free expression (poems, small essays, drawings, messages…).
First to release the bombs, the artist Raphaël Aznar and his students from the MJC graffiti class created a fresco on one of the walls during the inauguration of Argyroupoli Square (pictured at the top of the article).
Other planned locations
These three walls could be the first of a longer list. The town hall provides to broaden the concept on existing municipal areas. Where ? We don’t know yet. Available locations will be updated on the municipality’s website.
A fresco in the Fontanelles room
Another operation of the town hall concerns street art. The city also intends to call on artists to embellish the municipal walls. Thus, for a first collaboration, the city called on the services of Soia. The artist with a colorful universe will paint a giant fresco on the Fontanelles room from November 14 to 21, 2022. Other orders have already been made in 2023.
The artists required by the “Murs – Arts en liberté!” » undertake to respect the terms of practice which can be consulted on the city’s website: www.castanet-tolosan.fr.
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