It is widely acknowledged by Jean-Christophe Levassor, the director of Condition Publique, that the majority of the artists sought after by the Roubaix institution throughout the years are male. An issue, he succinctly describes in the introduction, that prompts us to rethink the identity of the individuals we choose to address in public forums: who are they? To what extent does their gaze exhibit specificity? In response to this question, Jean-Christophe pondered the gallery owner Magda Danysz, a highly knowledgeable expert in street art, who established her gallery with the renowned artist JonOne over three decades ago. Furthermore, she orchestrated the exhibition "Street generation(s)" in 2017, which served as a prominent compilation of street art spanning four decades, all within the confines of these very same walls. Thus, "Urbain.es" emerges as the inevitable continuation of this first opus - which, as she remembers, concluded on the issue of commitment, a topic that irritates this new exhibition that is far more feminine and politicized.First and foremost, it is a matter of assessing the current situation. What portrayal of women is typical in street scenes? As the protagonist of Invader, the pixel mosaic artist, she is depicted with red boots and long green hair, positioned provocatively behind her weapon. In T-Kid, her breasts protrude conspicuously and appear to radiate from the surface of the graffitied canvas... Undoubtedly, street art has inherited only mundane tropes from the tradition of comics and cinema. Regarding trailblazers, Miss Van also explores very sensual visages, pouting lips, and provocatively exposed nipples, but in a more enigmatic manner - the artist has clarified that she portrays in her artworks a completely fabricated representation of herself, a kind of complete and extravagant actualization. This introduction acknowledges Miss.Tic, the most renowned figure of the tour. She is both a poet and a street artist, known for her distinctive style that combines rudimentary language with provocative poses. Her primary motivation is to reclaim control over her body and her own desires, rather than to submit herself to the authority of men.
This course is unique in that it has a greater number of women than males with their names directly displayed on the signs.
Lady Pink stands out as the sole individual who fully disengages from the prevailing sexual representation associated with women. This is achieved by a self-portrait, which is uncommon in urban art, depicting her engaged in work with a spray can held in her hand. This artwork is particularly poignant since the genre of the self-portrait holds great significance in the history of feminine art. It has been present since the Middle Ages, when covert artists discreetly inserted their faces into initial letters, as a means of expressing one's own identity and abilities in a male-dominated society. In contrast, the renowned Guerrilla Girls activists emphasize their well recognized reality: "Is it necessary for women to be unclothed in order to gain access to the Metropolitan Museum?" and acquaint us with the essence of the matter, a voyage in which, for the first time, they outnumber males in terms of having their names displayed on the signage.
For instance, we (re)explore Maya Hayuk, an American artist of Ukrainian descent known for her large and vibrant bands of color. She specializes in abstract and geometric approaches, characterized by a keen interest in vivid colors, drips, and graphic textures. Residing at the Condition Publique in late March, she, along with other artists in the exhibition, left her enduring impression on the open-air urban art museum of Roubaix. It is your responsibility to locate her while strolling about the vicinity. You will also see, both within and outside the show, Yseult Digan (also known as YZ), the creator of large pictures of women she meets throughout her travels, which she embellishes with jewelry crafted from repurposed materials.
Furthermore, female street art has given rise to a soft-touch innovation known as yarn bombing, or urban knitting. Magda Sayeg, the pioneering artist, was the first to boldly occupy the street using needles and balls of wool. She went so far as to encase the legs of a colossal spider designed by Louise Bourgeois in Tokyo. In this installation, she assumes control of a whole banister that we observe closely. This achievement is complemented by less extravagant yet as captivating textile techniques, such as those employed by Eko Nugroho. An Indonesian artist reappropriates weaving techniques, under the vigilant supervision of his mother, to portray penetrating women's faces in vibrant clusters... Indeed, it is undeniable that we have come a long way from the eroticized breasts created by the initial street painters.Intermittently, we encounter a few prominent figures who are actively involved in significant political initiatives, such as JR or Saype. Their focus on women, marginalized communities, or the environment is widely recognized, but it is not enough to divert attention from their more discreet (and possibly less didactic) counterparts. Such as the Argentine Amalia Ulman, who is deeply disturbed by the lack of compensation for her maternity leave in the United States, or the highly liberated Egyptian Aya Tarek. We shall conclude with a beloved character, the remarkably sombrely dubbed Madame. In her studio, the Frenchwoman, a skilled scenographer, produces posters and miniature three-dimensional collage compositions, which she subsequently exhibits on the streets. Exactly why do we enjoy it? Because she is humorous and resolute, because she penned the phrases "To go with the flow is to drift" and "To leave feathers there will never make a cage a shelter", or because she vividly portrays the intense passion of a woman with a burning gaze... An incandescent and unrestrained inspiration, which encapsulates the essence of this exhibition. seen in France Beaux Arts vwart.com
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