I know, I know, it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything! I don’t have a very good excuse either, apart from the fact that I’ve felt very little motivation lately due to a combination of work being more stressful than usual and summer having finally arrived (and therefore going out a lot more to combat the stress of work)! Luckily, I found some inspiration recently in Malakoff, a suburb just South of Paris that is connected by Métro line 13. I don’t often venture outside of the comfort of my lovely Paris, but when I heard about a crazy street art exposition in an abandoned warehouse, I knew I had to cross the Périph and check it out!
Le Grand 8 – L’infiniment Vivant is located in La Réserve and my first impression: Wow! The courtyard itself is full of color and beauty and it reminded me of the warehouses in Berlin that have been turned into bars/clubs and that are covered in amazing works of art. Once inside there is a small bar to the left, but the bf and I decided to pay our 3 euro entry fee and start the tour directly. The exposition is presented as a succession of installations (created by an artist or group of artists) that follow one after the other and that are arranged in a figure 8. There were WAY too many exceptional works of street art to describe them all, so here are a few pictures of my favorites…to give you a small taste of what this place has to offer!The first installation we saw was by Jana & JS called “I’ll be Around to Guide you”. In the background you can see M. Chat’s famous “Le Chat”, grinning above the entrance as it does all around Paris!In the middle of the 8 there is an open space where everyone is taking pictures and deciding which direction to go next…like an intersection on the street art highway! The large green, yellow and blue geometric panel is by Seize Happywallmaker and is entitled “Magnetiko-Glyphe”.This installation by Anis, entitled “L’Arbre enchanté” was one of my favorites! I loved the bright colors, the beautiful organic imagery and the playfulness of this piece. It has almost a magical, fairy tale feel to it, with a little door and a tunnel leading you to the next space.This dark room (“L’Antre de Mosko”) was illuminated by glowing wild animals (painted by Mosko) that reflect through each other and disappear or reappear as you move throughout the space. Another one of my favorites, entitled “Histoire du Cube”, is a collaborative project done by a group of artists called Photographée! Each of the four walls is covered in a beautiful work of art that starts with a paper print of a photo by Alex Perret and that is then transformed with spray paint and talent into a larger more complex work of street art. I love the idea of mixing graffiti with photography so that the two mediums merge into one! Powerful and breathtaking!Finally, the bright and girly pop-art installation of Iza Zaro, called “L’identité d’une blonde” really caught my eye! Stencils, texts, prints and colors combine! Especially loved the cheerful daisies that blossomed on the walls and the ceiling!After finishing the tour, we grabbed a soft drink (1 Euro) and sat outside in the sun. I flopped down onto one of the really cool poufs made from an old tire and customized by Le Cyklop, the well-known street artist that has put eyeballs onto many of the street poles in Paris. Families and friends chilled in this welcoming environment and I could imagine us happily spending the rest of the day there. Drinks are cheap and there is plenty of space for everyone. We admired the street art that surrounded us in the courtyard and only wished that this wasn’t a temporary exhibit. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. Make sure to take a quick trip to Malakoff before the end of October (don’t worry it’s easy to find)! You’ll be happy you did!

Details:

Le Grand 8: L’Infiniment Vivant

la Réserve Malakoff

7, rue Paul Bert

92 240 Malakoff

Open Tuesday-Sunday

Runs until the 30th of October, 2016

http://www.expo-legrand8.com