Street Art in Calais
In Calais, a city with a rich maritime and historical past, the streets are transformed into a vast living tableau thanks to street art and its annual festival. This event attracts artists from all over the world, expressing their creativity and artistic vision on urban walls.
Urban inspirations
Is Street Art part of Contemporary Art or is it a separate phenomenon? Difficult to classify since its origin, it has acquired a major place in the recent history of creation and has definitely left its mark on the Calais region! After the success of the “Conquête Urbaine” exhibition at the city’s Museum of Fine Arts in 2019, this art is now expressed every year in a unifying festival where around fifteen artists are invited to share their style. Organized by the Ateliers du Graff, it also gives pride of place to internationally renowned artists.
Formerly confined to less glamorous terms, this discipline of 'graffiti' gives a glimpse of an 'urban art' that has been democratized since 1990. Today, Calais proudly displays its culture of open-air canvases, urban theater performed by the Compagnie du Dragon and promotes the heritage of its lace-making tradition. An ideal blend of history and modernity that inspires artists and visitors alike!
An open-air museum
Street art has acquired an important place in the Calais region. Artists now express themselves every year in a dedicated festival. The streets of Calais become the playground of urban artists who transform the walls into colorful works of art, inspired by the history of the city. This has given rise to works such as the Dentelle fresco by Nespoon, the inhabitant of the Minck district represented by Swed Oner or the seagull by K.Yoô.
In just a few years, the Calais region has been adorned with around fifty frescoes, some in the city centre and others in slightly more remote locations.
Setting out to conquer the city
Street Art, a multifaceted artistic movement, is omnipresent in Calais. In 1975, Ernest Pignon Ernest, a pioneer of the genre, proposed a collage in Calais. He said “Disembark in a city and simply take a look at it.” Later, in 1990, François Morellet inaugurated his Blériot Lace Plane in the Fort Nieulay district. Since then, the street has continued to inspire artists from all over the world.
Every summer, the Tourist Office's tour guides offer guided tours a selection of works from the last edition of the festival, but also major works such as Banksy visible on the seafront.
The entire works can be explored on foot or by bike and will guide you through the different neighborhoods where the major works are located. Do not hesitate to ask the XXL tourist map at the Tourist Office, or to consult all the works commented on in the free Wivisites application.
Discover the route on Wivisites