Interview about his project “Larger than life”
19-12-2023

Name of the Street Art piece that has modified the urban space: Larger than life*

Location : Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Year : 2023

1- If you had to choose a Street Art piece that you created, as a transformation of the urban space, which one would you choose? How does this Street Art piece denote urban space metamorphosis?

Last Year I painted a hudge mural in Rillieux-La-Pape near Lyon in France. It took poetry in an universe of concrete.

2- Why did you make this Street Art piece in this urban space? Was it the town hall or the property owner who authorized or asked you to create it? Can we consider this work as illegal/vandalism or legal, what is your criteria?

The building I painted on will be destroyed as it’s part of a suburb area restructuration. The city council wanted to create art pieces in that suburb during the time of the area transformation.

3- What is the message you want to communicate through this Street Art piece? Is it related to the urban space where you did it?

It’s a poetic and environmental message. The creation is an allegory of our contemporary world. A different look at human’s place in the nature that surrounds them. Disproportionate animals facing suspended humans. A delicate encounter. A confrontation. And also an imminent danger of seeing these animals disappear because of the gargantuan place that man is taking up.

4- How was this work integrated into the urban space? What was the interaction that the inhabitants of this city had with your project? Did they participate in its creation?

I painted the work on a wall. A lot of people living around were coming to see, to speak with me, and taking pictures…

5- Do you think it is important that the local people participate during the production of your work and that they become artists modifying the urban space or do you prefer to carry out your projects alone without anyone seeing you?

I like a lot the contact with inhabitants. I’m painting in the space they are living so I like to share the production time with them.

6- According to you, what is the criteria that determines your Street Art work modifies the urban space and why is your work considered aesthetically well done?

By it’s nature, a painting on a wall it transforms the urban space. And for this project the size of it is impressive.

7-What is the “historical future” of your work? Should we take care of it, preserve it and repaint it as if it were a museum’s piece of art? Or should it be allowed to age with the city itself?

The destruction of the creation was part of the project. That’s why I choose to represent a butterfly, rare little animal who lives in this concrete world of Rillieux-la-Pape.

8- How does your work add value to the urban space in which it is produced?

My work is here to make people ask themselves questions about their environment and make them dream.

9- What were the difficulties that you encountered during the completion of your work modifying the urban space?

Maybe the rain 🙂

10- Why is urban art important to modify the urban space? What sort of projects are you planning to do in the future ?

I’m planning to work with different NGO as SOS Méditerranée to speak about the work they do and share it in the Urban Space with everybody.

Interview conducted by Art Bill – journalist and owner of Street Art In Action.

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