Beyond the Streets at La Villette: 5 Pivotal Moments in Street Art History

The exhibition 'Beyond the Streets' opens at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris from May 26 to September 1, 2026, showcasing over 100 artists across 3,600 m² with murals, installations, reconstructed sets, and archives. The show traces street art's evolution from clandestine origins to institutional recognition. Five key moments are highlighted: Taki 183's 1971 New York Times article that sparked the graffiti movement; Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant's 1984 book 'Subway Art,' which documented NYC subway graffiti and influenced French artists; Gérard Zlotykamien, who in 1963 turned to public space after censorship at the Biennale de Paris, creating his 'Éphémères' silhouettes; the vacant lot on Boulevard de la Chapelle in 1980s Paris, a hub for crews like BBC and CTK, frequented by figures such as JoeyStarr and Vincent Cassel; and the Ticaret boutique, opened in 1986 at 52 rue du Château-Landon, which supplied hip-hop gear and served as a studio for graffiti artists and musicians like MC Solaar and Booba. A documentary on Canal+ about Ticaret, narrated by Reda Kateb, aired in late 2025.