Tag Archives: Toulouse

Toulouse: 100TAUR new mural for the Dominicans

July 9, 2015 butterfly

A surreal encounter between French graffiti artist 100Taur and the Dominicans: for the celebration of the 800th Anniversary of the Order of Preachers , founded in Toulouse (FR), the Dominicans asked lowbrow artist 100TAUR to create a 100 square meters mural on their convent in Toulouse.

It’s a fusion between two worlds that coexist little: that of a religious order and that of a lowbrow and graffiti artist who created a (sometimes scary) fantasy world. A proof that 100Taur is open to all artistic challenges and encounters.

Surprising as it may seem, it also follows the ongoing collaboration of Dominicans with contemporary artists, like Matisse in 1951 when he created the Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence.

For a week, 100Taur has painted a huge portrait of Saint Dominique on the outside wall of the Dominican monastery. The artist studied the iconography of St. Dominique and incorporated many symbols including a lily flower for purity, the Toulouse cross, as well as his signature ‘Slug ‘character, symbol of resilience.

100TAUR - SAINT DOMINIQUE

More than 600 persons came to the inauguration were the mural was officially blessed. ‘St Dominique’ can be seen at the Couvent des Dominicains, Metro Faculte de Pharmacie, in Toulouse.

View the full set of pics here and a video below (in French).

Shows, Street, streets, Toulouse

Toulouse: Open Summer Festival

June 12, 2015 butterfly 4 Comments

For the 4th year running, the Open Summer Festival invited twenty international artists in Toulouse at the new creative hub Cinquante Cinq / Espace Cobalt. Outside the exhibition space, guests enjoyed live painting sessions with a Graffiti Jam, but also relaxed with a good summer feeling including barbecue and music. We also bumped into artists from the Toulouse scene like Tilt, 100Taur.

Invited artists included: Babz – Katre – Twopy – Moner – Arnem – Meyer – Druid81 – Most – Heis – Fasim – Royce – Taroe – Grems – Opera – Gomer – Dashe – Reso – Demon – Panks – Azek – Sherio – Redy – Ofusk – Smice

Inside the Espace Cobalt an exhibition displayed a series of drawings by the participating artists as well as a video projection of shorts film as well as the documentary ‘Banksy in New York’.

View the full set of pics here

Interviews/ Studio visits, Paris, Toulouse

Studio Visit: 100TAUR (Toulouse)

October 8, 2014 butterfly 1 Comment

Following his group shows in the US and recent installation at the Toulouse Museum (FR), we visited the cabinet of curiosities of Low Brow French artist 100taur as he prepares for his upcoming solo show ‘Monsters in my closet’ at the Artoyz gallery in Paris.

100taur is a multidisciplinary artist, whose creativity expands from graffiti, paintings, drawings, engraving to sculpture, installations and taxidermy. His sources of inspiration come from Greek mythology, hybrid creatures like Chiron, known for his kindness, knowledge and skills with medicine, but also Japanese culture and sci-fi and horror films. Passionate by the natural world, 100taur also studies and breeds insects that he draws with the ultimate details.

100taur’s fantastic world is full of happy monsters, multi-eyed slugs and hybrid creatures that seems to be floating and dancing within an oniric universe, while some pop classics like Sponge Bob are reinterpreted with his own personal touch.

100TAUR - Studio Visit

View the full set of pics here

100taur – Monsters in my closet
16 Oct – 11 Nov 2014
Artoyz Gallery
53 Bd Beaucmarchais, 75003 Paris

Toulouse

Interview: Tilt

September 25, 2014 butterfly

TILT - Panic Bathroom

While at the Nuart Festival in Norway, we caught up with French graffiti artist Tilt for a few questions…

Where does your artist name come from?
I started painting graffiti in 1988 in Toulouse. A graffiti writer named Declic (which means to click) was the person who inspired me select my name Tilt, which means in French an A-Ha / Eureka moment. And Declic’s partner 2Pon became my mentor.

Any reasons why you prefer to use bubble letters in your work?
During 15 years I did Wild Style graffiti, influenced by NY kings, and mastered the lines and techniques. However at night I would go out and enjoy painting some throw-ups and bubbles letters spontaneously. So I decided to move towards bubble letters, even through I got lots of backlash at first.

Graffiti has its own language and secret codes, and it takes years to understand it. I love the simplicity and curves of the bubble letters, and love the fact that using the alphabet you can incorporate them and create any portrait or image with many messages.

TILT - NuArt

Can you tell us about your Flags project?
Well it’s is an ongoing one, every country I visit I leave a local Tilt flag. Sometimes it can be like a thank you for the people I met but most of the time it s just the idea to ” leave my mark on society and not in society.” I hope to complete all the country flags during my lifetime.

TILT - Norway

Street art or graffiti?
I’m a graffiti artist at heart. I enjoy doing illegal throw-ups in the streets, the freedom, the adrenaline, put flops everywhere I can just to promote the pure essence of graffiti.

TILT & KOOLT - Norway

A recent “Street Art’ collaboration with French graffiti artists and Monoprix (equivalent of Tesco in the UK) caused quite a controversy in France. What is your reaction towards collabs with brands?

It has always existed. But it depends on the product/brand, some of the end products do not look great, but the overall aim to make it accessible and affordable to the wider audience is acceptable. I would consider what could be accessible to my mum, so in this case she would be able to afford a customised product from Monoprix rather than a Louis Vuitton scarf. But more importantly it’s the legitimity of the brand to do such collabs, specially in 2014. Using Graffiti and Street Art for any kind of purposes is quite depressing and overwelming.

What do you think of the rise of the muralism?
Even though more and more people tend to assimilate Street Art to muralism, it is a good thing that Public Art is evolving and growing into multiple directions as it is gaining more acceptance from the general public as an art form. Muralism is mostly based on legal support from cities and festivals, but graffiti is my core passion so I will continue to promote it.

What did you do for the NuArt Festival?
I enjoyed the NuArt Festival because you get to meet different kinds of international artists from activists to muralists and the NuArt team is also an exceptional family. Big up to Martyn, Sofy, Maiken, Tor, Vegar, Leon, Nina, Luam & Epifany, Frank & Rashid, Einar, Trym, Ken and Si.

For the outdoor part I painted a huge grenade with bubble letters.
I like to present objects or items that are instantly recognisable, but at the same time contain a series of hidden personal messages through the bubble letters. The viewer will look at it, find an immediate connection and then discover maybe another layer or two, and then realise there are a lot more. That’s what graffiti is about, coded messages.

For the indoor installation I recreated my panic room, this time a panic bathroom. People usually don’t want to look at tags, drips, it’s dirty, it’s what they call vandalism, they tend to look away etc. Same for the bathroom, you go there because it’s a need, not necessarily because you enjoy it.

In this installation the public is facing my schizophrenic sides: the balance between the clean and structured element and the out of control, colourful, dirty dripping elements of graffiti. Is this art? For me yes.

TILT - Panic Bathroom

View the full set of pics from Tilt in Norway here

Shows, Toulouse

Toulouse: Mr Freeze Nite & Day – Part 2

June 6, 2014 butterfly 1 Comment

Mr Freeze - 50cinq

Following our recent coverage on Mister Freeze Nite & Day (see here) we attended the second place that was revealed at the last minute. The 50cinq features large scale installations, sculptures and murals by international artists.

Participating artists include: Sike, Momies, Opium, Astro, Tonce, Tanc, Wany, Zepha, Mlle Boo, Lek, Sowat, Pro176, Zest, Landry, Fode, Scred, Reso, Sherio, Katre, Tilt, Demon, Costa, F.Bel, Gris1, Legz, Zoer, Case, Wow123, Velvet, MissVan, Ditno, Ciro, Oko, Panks, Dely, and Stop.

Mr Freeze - 50cinq