'We Are Here' Exhibition at Petit Palais: A Landmark Urban Art Showcase with Shepard Fairey
Petit Palais, Paris
12
June - 17 November 2024
For the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Petit Palais opens its doors to urban artists for the first time, hosting a large-scale free urban art exhibition titled ‘We Are Here’ in collaboration with the Association for the Promotion of Contemporary Visual and Urban Arts (APAPUC). The exhibition invites Street Artists to interact with the permanent collections and architecture of the museum, marking a milestone for the Street Art movement within a public institution.
From June 12 to November 17, thirteen major artists from the Street Art movement, including Shepard Fairey, Invader, D*Face, Seth, Cleon Peterson, Hush, Swoon, Vhils, Inti, Add Fuel, and Conor Harrington, will present monumental works that intertwine with the museum's collections.
‘We Are Here’ leads visitors to an installation of over 200 artworks displayed in a single room in the North wing of the Petit Palais, the Concorde room, reminiscent of historic Salons, which sparked artistic revolutions at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The immersive scenography invites the public to delve into the diversity and richness of this artistic movement. The exhibition's title, used as a slogan in various historical and contemporary contexts such as civil rights struggles, evokes feelings of affirmation, resilience, and claim, expressing the visibility and legitimacy gained by the Street Art movement.
Annick Lemoine, director of the Petit Palais and curator of the exhibition, explains, "The Petit Palais is very pleased to host the first urban art exhibition of this scale within a public institution, accessible to all and entirely free, in a spirit of sharing culture with as many people as possible, true to the principles that drive the Street Art movement."
Shepard Fairey, represented internationally by galleries including Opera Gallery, is an American street artist, graphic designer, activist, illustrator, and the founder of OBEY Clothing. He bridges the gap between traditional and commercial art through his use of type and image, conveying social critique via prints, murals, stickers, and posters in public spaces. Fairey is best known for creating the iconic and unauthorised Hope poster for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
The impact the artist has of the art scene, especially in accessible contexts continues to expand internationally. Shepard Fairey had his first exhibition in Asia in 2023 at Opera Gallery Singapore with the exhibition, ‘The Future is Unwritten’ and a large mural in city, Mosaic of Peace and Harmony.
