From Canal de l' Ourcq to Saint-Denis, Pantin and Clichy, the city’s northern streets are filled with art
Discover in this article:
On Rue Biot, numerous works by Jef Aérosol adorn the walls. On the Montmartre side, street art is scattered throughout the famous hill. You may come across the imaginary creatures of Codex Urbanus, the 3D faces of Gregos, the repurposed signs of Clet, or even the posts of Cyklop. And next to the Jules-Joffrin metro station, don't miss the 300-metre-long graffiti wall on Rue Ordener!
The famous French-Swiss artist M. Chat has set up his studio in Saint-Ouen, and his large yellow cats are bringing smiles back to many of the city's walls!
At number 37, LeMurSaintOuen invites an artist every month to create a piece of art live. At number 13, don't miss the girl with the match by Seyb and Alex and, a little further on, a portrait of Bernard Buffet by C215 awaits passers-by. Near the Jules-Vallès market, you'll be greeted at the entrance by an impressive colourful mural painted by Brok, Alex and Hopare, and at 17 Rue du Plaisir, you can go back to the roots of street art with a mural by pioneers Jerôme Mesnager, Némo, Mosko and associates.
Is the market closing? That's perfect, because now is the ideal time to see all the graffiti decorating the metal shutters. To enjoy them, wait until they're down!
Other street art spots: the skatepark at the Grand Parc des Docks de Saint-Ouen, the Saint-Ouen fire station, the Joliot-Curie gymnasium, the Bauer stadium, the Ampère stadium, and more.
For a street art stroll, head to the Canal Saint-Denis, which offers two remarkable routes to discover along the water: Aucwin and Street Art Avenue.
The Aucwin route is a street art trail that starts at the Stade de France (lock footbridge), runs along the Saint-Denis canal and ends at the SNCF train station in the Confluence district. Here you can discover numerous works by around thirty French and international artists.
Street Art Avenue was created during Euro 2016, when around fifteen works were added to the canal banks. Since then, the project has been enriched with new creations. Street Art Avenue offers visitors a 5-kilometre walk from the Stade de France to the Parc de la Villette, which can be enjoyed on foot, by bike, by river shuttle or on a guided tour.
Around the Stalingrad metro station, there are several spots worth checking out, such as this gigantic mural located at 238 Boulevard de la Villette, created by Lazoo. Opposite, at 249 Boulevard de la Villette, don't miss the man with the ram's head. It is one of the few works still visible by Bilal Berreni, better known as Zoo Project.
On the Allées Jacques-Brel in the 19th arrondissement, a work by Banksy depicting a girl in mourning, in tribute to the victims of the 2015 attacks, has been visible since 2018 on an emergency door of the Bataclan, now installed in the Allées Jacques-Brel neighbourhood. It remains a powerful symbol of socially engaged street art in Paris.
Rue de l'Ourcq is the kingdom of the artist dAcRuZ. An icon of the neighbourhood, he tirelessly roams the streets, leaving behind his astonishing primitive Inca-style masks. For over 10 years, he has been an active participant in the Ourcq Living Colors urban art festival. On this occasion, the greatest graffiti artists are invited to redecorate the walls of the 19th arrondissement. To admire their work, head to Rue de l'Ourcq, Rue Germaine-Taillefere and Rue de Thionville.
The banks of the Bassin de la Villette are home to around twenty works created during FestiWall, a Parisian urban culture festival created in 2016. On the Quai de la Loire and the Quai de la Marne, you can see creations by Moyoshi, Jo Di Bona, JBC, Daco and others.
Don't miss the Pavillon des Canaux at 39 Quai de la Loire, a former lock keeper's house converted into a café-restaurant, which regularly lends its façade for colourful murals. A stone's throw away, on Rue Henri-Noguères, discover a 96-metre-long street art wall that regularly welcomes new creations.
The De l'Art à l'Ourcq route is an urban art trail stretching from the Rotonde de la Villette to Aulnay-sous-Bois and passing through several towns in Seine-Saint-Denis. Around thirty works (collages, stencils, installations, etc.) can be discovered along the way. Art is displayed on all kinds of media, from telephone booths to electrical cabinets and bridge pillars. The route can be explored on foot, by bike, by river shuttle or on a guided tour with a street art specialist.
In Pantin, the Magasins Généraux brought together the cream of graffiti artists in the 2000s. Moored on the Canal de l'Ourcq, this gigantic concrete ship was a meeting place for graffiti artists from all over the world. In 2012, as part of the Édifice project, the PoDaMa collective came to create a monumental mural. The following year, in 2013, as part of JR's Inside Out project, 300 black and white portraits were scattered along the Ourcq Canal. And since 2014, De l'Art à l'Ourcq has taken over.
Since 2021, the Îlot 27 project has been transforming the banks of the Canal de l'Ourcq into an open-air gallery, bringing together monumental murals by artists such as DaCruz, Marko93 and Kashink. This culturally vibrant neighbourhood regularly hosts events combining urban art, music and participatory workshops.
The Seine-Saint-Denis area, which includes Saint-Denis, is rich in cultural, artistic and sporting attractions. Continue exploring the department with the In Seine-Saint-Denis platform.
