Street-Art in Bayonne : discreet works with murals

Opening photo : Entitled Garaipena, this colorful and feminist fresco can be found at 7 rue des lisses (Den.XL, Points of view 2020).

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Do you like Street art? We take you for a walk in Bayonne, to discover sumptuous frescoes, small discreet but superb graffiti, large-format and surprising artistic pieces!  

Street-art is a mode of artistic expression in an urban environment. It brings together different drawing and painting techniques, such as tag, graffiti, stencil, panel hijacking, etc. Among the most famous artists, we cite of course Banksy who is often very involved in his achievements (London, Calais, Jerusalem, etc.). But France need not be ashamed. We also have renowned artists, like Thomas Vuillé who draws his famous orange-yellow Mr. CAT (fr) on the walls of many cities (Orleans, Sète, La Rochelle, square of the Pompidou center, etc.).

"Points of view" : the Bayonne Street-art Festival

The “Points de Vue” festival is an international event that takes place in Bayonne, lasting 4 to 5 weeks, between October and November. Guided tours, exhibitions, and even a sound tour are offered on this occasion.

Between two banks, from the Saint-Esprit bridge, you can see Nevercrew's work (Points of view 2019)

Each year, since its launch in 2017, creators have flocked from all over Europe and the United States, to participate and offer Bayonnais and strollers, each more surprising than the next. Belgium, Spain, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Portugal are all European countries represented. France and the Basque Country are not left out. Everyone comes to express their art and offer their own vision of urban art.

Example of painting completely integrated into the daily life of the inhabitants of the district (Ella and Pitr, Points of view 2019)

Spacejunk Art Center has initiated this annual event which saw its ^4th edition (2020) to take place, despite the health crisis. It is an associative art center which collaborates, on this project, with the municipality of Bayonne.

Street art is sometimes discreet so as not to alter the beauty of the city of Bayonne

The city then becomes a giant exhibition hall where the murals rub shoulders with discreet creations that would go almost unnoticed, so integrated into the urban landscape. From one bank to the other, the vestiges of this festival are a witness of all the previous editions.

Painting by RNST “in bullshit we trust” / The colors and the work demonstrate strength and determination (RNST, Points de Vue 2017)

To find all the representations created during these 4 parts of the “Points of view” festival, do not hesitate to take a look at this map which is very well done and which allows you to view a large part of the creations at discover, with their precise geolocation. Then, all you have to do is keep your eyes open to find them in situ!

  At the edge of the quays, this unsigned achievement can be admired like a work in a museum

In the heart of the old town, a painter took the time to personalize this transformer door

Street Art walk in Bayonne

While strolling in the streets of the city, one realizes rather quickly that certain graphic universes return regularly.  

Parisian graffiti artist C215 and postal mailboxes

Him, his hobby, is to adorn the famous yellow mailboxes of the Post Office. He covered a dozen of them during his participation in the festival in 2017. And he does not content himself with drawing on a facade. The 3 sides of the box are illustrated. Sometimes he draws animals (cats, dogs), sometimes men, women or children. There is even Serge Gainsbourg on one of them. It's up to you to find it!

C215 always uses the same colors for its creations, and stylizes La Poste letterboxes with softness and tenderness

Exist and its Basque characters

With each portrait discovered, in addition to the signature, we recognize the hand of the Basque artist with the angular faces, the beret and sometimes, in dedication to his city, the two bell towers of the Bayonnaise cathedral of Sainte-Marie.

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Murals

While C215, for example, seeks to integrate its productions into the urban space and to camouflage itself in the daily life of Bayonnais, others, on the contrary, are thinking big. Very large. So large that they offer themselves a pinion as a support for their original creation. This represents a titanic work both in number of hours (sketch, respect for proportions…) and in materials used (quantity of paintings, scaffolding, nacelles). But each time the result is up to the challenge.

Entitled Urdin (meaning “blue” in Basque ”), this fresco in the Citadel represents a typical dancer (Points de vue, 2020)

All the murals have the same guideline. So, of course, everyone puts their style and colors in it, but the purpose is always the same : the highlighting of a person, of a portrait.

Young pensive Basque woman (Dourone, Points of view 2017)

"Are you ready?" Highlights a futuristic ultra-connected woman (DEIH, Points of view 2017)

Portrait of a young woman in sportswear (Sebas Velasco, Points of view 2017)

Fresco in dedication to the song "Wonderful life", to its author and to its clip (Untay, Points of view 2018)

Realistic representation of a Basque shepherd (Sismik and Azot, Points of view 2017)

On foot, by bike or even, like us, on a scooter, it takes at least an afternoon of research, contemplation and photos of these small (and large) open-air treasures that the city of Bayonne offers us! Some places are out of the way of the historic heart, but by concentrating on the quays, the Saint-Esprit district and the city center, you will already be able to catch a glimpse of a wide range of productions.

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Article and photos by Charline Prodhomme

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