Urban ARTivism

Urban Art for impact

When graffiti is committed
Political denunciations through graffiti have always existed. Disagreements with the world’s undemocratic regimes and systems are indeed often denounced on the walls. Graffiti is evidence of social, political or protest commitment and is often the fastest means of expression in countries under oppressive totalitarian regimes.

There are usually high risks in drawing graffiti on walls. Thus, writers and artists have to move quickly to mark one’s protest. The messages conveyed are therefore strong and direct and are intended to awaken people’s consciences.

Protestant graffiti in the 20th century
The Movimiento Muralista Mexicano, a movement that identified with the Mexican Revolution of 1910, worked to revitalize local culture that had been violently repressed since colonial times. The movement has painted messages from the struggles against the Mexican regime in the early 1920s.

In 1973 in Chile, groups such as the Ramona Parra Brigade or the Agrupación de Aristas Plásticos Jóvenes (APJ) produced paintings with slogans of protest against Pinochet’s dictatorship. During that period of strong repression, they have been taking every risk to alert the people on the totalitarian grip of power.

[From left to right] Mural against sexual harassment in India – Wall painting caricaturing Colonel Gaddafi in Libya. 

Et les graffitis dénonciateurs au XXIème siècle
Graffiti accompany the great movements of the contemporary era. They are part of all protest actions. They are present during the second world war, as during the May 68 revolution in France.

They can be found on the walls of Cancun, Bethlehem, Belgrade or Manila, colourful, imposing and visible.
They are used by demonstrators from all over the world and are a quick and visual expression of their discontent. Whatever the cause defended, graffiti and murals illustrate the struggle. The advent of social networks has recently made it possible to amplify their reach and increase their visibility to the widest audience.

More recently, during the Egyptian revolution of 2011, the country’s youth expressed their political disagreement on the walls of their cities with paintings, posters and graffiti. At the same time, young people in Libya painted their rejection of Gaddafi.

Lastly, the large demonstrations that appeared in 2020 in the United States in reference to the “Black Live Matters” movement witnessed numerous murals in memory of the victims of police violence.

“Women are Heroes” by the artist JR, Rio do Janeiro, Brazil, 2008 – Source www.jr-art.net

The street artists defend their causes
It is to honor women, victims of war, crime and rape, that in 2008 JR involved himself in the favela of Morro da Providência, then in a slum in Nairobi and on the US-American border. The artist wanted to pay homage to these women and give them back some dignity, while alerting the world of the abuses to which they are exposed on a daily basis.

Banksy, for his part, regularly works in favor of the Palestinian cause, among other denunciations. He has created artworks on the wall built by Israel in Palestinian territory and judged “illegal” by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Banksy did it again with the decoration of the Walled-Off Hotel in Bethlehem.

In this hotel located against the wall, the denunciation is total, as evidenced by the bust protecting itself from tear gas, the surveillance camera trophies and the demonstrators’ slingshots. Without omitting the presidential suite, decorated by the artist himself, which has “everything that a corrupt head of state needs”…

Fight is on the walls
Graffiti and street art are strong markers of social commitments throughout the world: impactful, quick, poetic or violent.
graffiti warns of the excesses of systems and participates in the opening to the world of the struggles that artists tirelessly wage to denounce oppression.

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Graffiti origins

Graffiti have been part of urban culture since ancient times. While some consider cave paintings or cave art as the first graffiti in history, it seems more appropriate to consider the many examples dating from Ancient Greece or the Roman Empire as historical evidence of graffiti.

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Will urban art be the next interior design trend?

Is urban art a trend in decoration? Inspired by this worldwide movement DRIP’IN analyze why Urban Art is way more than just in the streets

Bao & Demais street art exhibition in Hong Kong

The gallery L’épicerie fine art HK honours the 2 street artists Bao and Demais for an exhibition from 19 Nov to 5 Dec in exclusivity with DRIP’IN

Graffiti origins

Graffiti have been part of urban culture since ancient times. While some consider cave paintings or cave art as the first graffiti in history, it seems more appropriate to consider the many examples dating from Ancient Greece or the Roman Empire as historical evidence of graffiti.

Art and decoration

What place for art in decoration? What legitimacy can decoration have within artistic movements? Read our analysis

Art in times of crisis

What place for art in times of crisis? How does it allow us to take the necessary height for the escape and the link?

Street art

Street art, the largest artistic movement in the world, continues its roll-out in every region and every major city of the globe.

Street art cities in the world

Street art, the largest artistic movement in the world, continues its roll-out in every region of the globe. View of the dynamic street art cities in the world.

The winners of the Urban Arts Jam April 2021

Discover the winners of the first Urban Art Jam in the garden of the Residence of France in Saigon.

Urban Arts and UN Solidarity Engagement

A great success for this first Jam under the banner of solidarity with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

SUAF2021- Press conference

For this first time in Vietnam, the Residence of France opens its doors to 8 emerging Vietnamese street artists.

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