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    Mural for Amnesty International by Mahn Kloix in Paris, France

    Art to celebrate the courage of human rights defendersIn the 12th arrondissement of Paris, a wall is now dedicated to the defense of human rights. The fresco, created by Marseille street artist Mahn Kloix, celebrates through six portraits the courage of human rights defenders who fight every day around the world for our fundamental rights.It is a long wall, 20 meters long and 5 meters high, on which six portraits burst out like screams. A few thin lines of white sharp on a dark wall and faces supported or constrained by friendly or hostile hands. One adjusts a veil on the head of lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. The other is placed on Doctor Mukwege’s shoulder. Still others hide their eyes, obstruct a mouth, support a face, a neck. Hands as signs of solidarity or oppression towards the courageous human rights defenders celebrated by this wall, the first dedicated to human rights in the capital. A symbolic space made available by Paris City Hall to celebrate freedoms, promote fundamental rights and fight against all discrimination.Discover the stories of the six human rights defenders they have chosen to highlight :Nasrin Sotoudeh, Iranian figure in the defense of human rightsA prominent lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh has become an emblematic figure in the defense of human rights in Iran. Known for her long-term fight against the death penalty, she has also distinguished herself in recent years for having defended women who defy discriminatory laws imposing the compulsory wearing of the veil in her country. Because of her human rights work, which has lasted for more than ten years, she has been persecuted by the Iranian authorities. In 2012, she received the Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament. In 2019, she was sentenced to 148 lashes and 38 years in prison. She is currently still detained in Evin prison in Tehran and continues to risk her life to defend the lives of others.Doctor Mukwege, the man who repairs womenNobel Peace Prize winner in 2018, Doctor Mukwege is internationally known as the man who “repairs” women. During the twenty years of conflict that shook the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, thousands of women were raped. Faced with these atrocities, Dr. Mukwege leads an incessant fight. Her fight: operate on these women whose bodies have been mutilated and denounce the impunity enjoyed by the guilty. Through his care and compassion, thousands of victims of rape and other sexual violence have been able to overcome their physical injuries.Despite an assassination attempt, death threats and attacks against his family, this exceptionally courageous doctor continues to campaign against sexual violence committed during conflicts. Although he travels all over the world to share his testimony, he now lives cloistered in his country, in the Bukavu hospital where he works, under the protection of the peacekeepers of the United Nations mission. But he is no longer alone in his struggle. Women, whose physical integrity he restored and helped to regain their dignity, are now fighting alongside him.Chelsea Maning, US Army whistleblowerChelsea Manning was a member of the United States Army. She was working as a military intelligence analyst when, witnessing human rights violations, she decided to leak thousands (700,000!) of confidential army documents that pointed to possible war crimes committed by the US military, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. For this courageous act, she was arrested in June 2010 and then placed in detention. In 2013, she was tried by a United States court martial and sentenced to 35 years in prison. After seven years in prison, the former WikiLeaks informant was finally released in May 2017, before being imprisoned again in March 2019. The reason: she refused to testify about Julian Assange before a grand jury. On March 11, 2020, two days before a hearing which was to rule on her refusal, she again attempted suicide in prison. A judge finally ordered his release the next day.Malala Yousafzai, incredible courage in the face of the TalibanMalala Yousafzai embodies the fight of millions of children and girls: that of the right to education. When she was only 11 years old, young Malala began writing a blog under the pseudonym “Gul Makai” for the BBC. She tells from her point of view as a little girl about daily life under the rule of the Taliban in Pakistan. In October 2012, the Taliban attacked his school bus and shot him in the head. This attack sparked a wave of international indignation. Seriously injured, she was transferred to the United Kingdom for treatment.Malala is an example of incredible courage. In 2013, she received the highest distinction granted by Amnesty International, the Ambassador of Conscience award.So here I am… one girl among others. I speak — not for me, but for all girls and boys. I raise my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that those who have no voice can be heard. Those who fought for their rights: Their right to live in peace. Their right to be treated with dignity. Their right to equal opportunities. Their right to education.Malala Yousafzai, at the United Nations General Assembly, July 12, 2013In 2014, at just 17 years old, she won the Nobel Peace Prize. She is the youngest winner in the history of this prize.Malala is still a refugee in the United Kingdom today and continues her fight for the education of children around the world.Greta Thunberg, Fridays for FutureIn 2018, the world heard about Greta Thunberg for the first time. A Swedish teenager who decided to skip school every Friday to protest in front of the Swedish Parliament until it takes strong measures to fight climate change. Since then, his initiative, which aims to raise awareness of the climate crisis, has spread like wildfire across the world. With her, millions of young people around the world took part in the “Fridays for Future” school strike days. Protests took place in more than 100 countries, including Australia, Brazil, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, the Philippines and Uganda.Acting according to your conscience means fighting for what you believe is right.On several occasions, her activism led to her being arrested: in Germany during an anti-coal demonstration, in Norway during a demonstration with the indigenous Sami people for the demolition of wind turbines declared illegal because they encroached on reindeer pastures; etc. In 2019, the climate change activist received the 2019 Ambassador of Conscience Award, the most prestigious award given by Amnesty International to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and courage in defending human rights .Angela Davis, icon of the feminist and anti-racist movementsAngela Davis was born on January 26, 1944, in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. Coming from an African-American family, she experienced racism and the system of racial segregation very early on. With her parents, she discovers the horror of slavery that marked her family. In the predominantly white neighborhood where her family settles, she discovers the horror of the Klu Klux Klan. Very early on, his political consciousness was formed. Very quickly, her destiny took shape: she would become a figure of feminism and anti-racism.The battles of his life are multiple: against the prison system, police brutality, the death penalty and all forms of oppression. Icon of Black Power, she became a Marxist activist in post-Cold War anti-communist America, but also a symbol of the fight for the release of political prisoners. As a result of her activities, Angela finds herself on the FBI’s wanted list. In the 1970s, when she was arrested and thrown in prison, public opinion sided with her and a “Free Angela Davis” support committee was created. Many personalities showed their support: from the Rolling Stones, who dedicated the song Sweet Black Angel to him, to John Lennon and Yoko Ono who sang Angela. Around the world, protests are taking place to demand his release. She was finally released in 1972, free of all charges.Throughout her life, Angela Davis also fought for the rights of women, particularly black women. For her, feminism is intrinsically linked to racism, and some people find themselves at the crossroads of oppressions. Black women must therefore fight simultaneously against sexism and racism. This is what we call the intersectionality of struggles.Even today, at a time when America continues to face police violence and Black Lives Matter, it continues to fight for minorities and against all forms of oppression. More

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    “The Olympic Ring between Apollo and Daphne” by OZMO in Paris, France

    OZMO, on the occasion of the Planète Périphérique Festival, the project organized by the RAS association and realized with the support of RIVP and the Mairie du 20eme,  had the opportunity to create an artistic intervention that develops on the exterior walls of an entire building located in the heart of the Python-Duvernois district, in Porte de Bagnolet, in the 20th arrondissement of Paris.The context and the formal features of the building inspired him for this project: it is impossible to think of painting on the main facade, full of balconies, windows and pillars, so he tried to find a solution that would make these elements become an integral part of the main subject: a huge, fiery red ring.For  The Olympic Ring between Apollo and Daphne   – this is the title of the work I made –  he then recontextualized Apollo chasing Daphne and Daphne chased by Apollo, the statues that the brothers Nicolas and Guillaume Coustou created for the park of the castle of Marly and that from 1940 are in the Louvre.The statues, designed and arranged so as to make a parallel run, are now depicted on the ends of the palace, one on each of the blind side walls, as directed in the opposite direction. They are reached and wrapped by the large red ring, shaded like a neon sign, overlooking the facade.This element, the real protagonist of the intervention, which unfolds along the two suspenders that join the balconies, is a reference to the busy périférique, the Parisian ring road, on which the intervention faces? Is that an answer to the huge advertising signs on the building across the street? Or is that a fil rouge? Does it evoke a track, a path or an orbit? And what possible link does it have to the red ring of the Olympics citeThe Olympic Ring between Apollo and Daphne offers itself to the passerby as an element of short-circuit and harmonization: between the two mythological figures, between the walls of the building, between the idea of the center and the suburbs, and between our perception of street art, graffiti and ancient and contemporary art in the urban context.The Intervention was presented on 13 April during the vernissage of the Planète Périphérique Festival, the extraordinary event that involved about one hundred artists who have created painted installations and interventions in the 3000 m2 of 21 apartments. The collective exhibition will be open until 7 May 2023. More

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    “Le Gang Des Potelets” by Benjamin Malick in Paris, France

    Multi-disciplinary artist Benjamin Malick shares his project “Le Gang Des Potelets” in Paris, France. Le Gang Des Potelets is a street art concept, aiming to symbolise the society through the embodiment of Parisian poles.Benjamin gives life to his characters thanks to different technics such as scultpure, mosaic, pochoir, etc. Each piece represents different aspect of the man / woman in our society : desire, passion, history, economic and social level, culture, origins, and more.All these figures form a clan, a gang — le Gang des Potelets (The Gang of Bollards).Benjamin Malick is based between Paris, Libreville and Dubai. Born in France to French-Algerian parents, he grew up in Gabon (Africa). Enhanced by his multi-cultural upbringing, he developed a strong passion and curiosity for travels, adventures and social & environmental causes which today inspire most of his artistic work.Using a multi-disciplinary approach, he revisits cultures & traditions and combines his documentary-style photography with sculptures, street art & collage techniques. With a surreal and dreamlike touch, Benjamin Malick aims to uncover social and cultural differences; at times decrypting known stereotypes and highlighting unknown realities.Take a look below for more photos of this project. More

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    “Web 2.0” by Ludo in Paris, France

    Street artist Ludo is back with a new mural in the streets of Paris, France. The mural entitled “Web 2.0” features a variation of his famous BTC Flower but instead of the bitcoin symbol, it displays an infinity sign with a tombstone below in which the words “R.I.P. Web 2.0” is written.Ludovic Vernhet, known by the name Ludo and sometimes even referred to as Nature’s Revenge, is an artist born and raised in Paris.His is all about connection between nature, animals and new technologies. It’s all about the world surrounding us. Mixing robotic and natural elements, Ludo questions us about our reality. Without condemning he is putting in highlight topics such as global warming, capitalism, globalization, ecology and the place of the human being among nature. More

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    “Giant Doll” and “Nature Morte” by Ludo in Paris, France

    Street artist Ludo just finished two murals in Paris, France. “Giant Doll” features the animatronic doll from Netflix hit series Squid Game with armed angels on both the doll’s sides. While “Nature Morte” features Ludo’s iconic imagery of and arrow + tulip hybrid shot through a skull.Most of Ludo’s work primarily focuses on the combination of nature and human technology. More specifically, he prefers to emphasize on the way society takes nature for granted. Often, we disrespect and over-exploit it- leading human control into a vast destruction. His work focuses on our surroundings and effects all while providing a form of humility. This is the basis of his work and is sure to leave one amaze at first sight.Ludo’s primarily forms of mediums used in street art are composed of silkscreen, acrylic, pencils, scalpel, tape, and printers. This is all used for wheat pasting or paste-ups. He also currently works on street installations and sculptures by re-using objects found within the streets. He is constantly active with works across Europe, using trademark monochromatic paste-ups with dripping green highlights.Check out below for more photos of the murals. More

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    “CryptoPunk Pineapple 00001” & “Another Angel” by Ludo in Paris, France

    Parisian street artist have recently shared his new pieces located in the streets of Paris, France. This first mural entitled “CryptoPunk Pineapple 00001” which depicts a pixelated pineapple skull smoking a pipe. His next mural shows an other angel watching the charts in light of the pandemic.As one can see on the murals, Ludo’s work primarily focuses on the combination of nature and human technology. He is constantly active with works across Europe, using trademark monochromatic paste-ups with dripping green highlights. The use of green shades is used as a simple method to gain recognition. It is a well-known mix that Ludo uses to convey his artwork, designs, and messages.Check out below for more images of the Ludo’s new pieces. More

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    New Murals by David de la Mano in Paris, France

    Street artist David de la Mano have recently worked on two small murals located in the Batignolles area in district 17 of Paris. This project was conceived after his last exhibition “Intemperie” at the Galerie Itinerrance. He was invited by the Paris-based curator Olivier Landes, who also conceived the Rouen Impressionnée festival in 2020.As an alternative to the raise of big scale muralism, the project aims to bring on site-specific urban art pieces, based on the fusion with architecture and urban micro landscapes. In his unique black monochromatic style, David imagined two great pieces of his enigmatic characters, fitting with this XIX-century Parisian architecture and its cracks.David de la Mano is a Spanish contemporary artist best known for his stunning murals often depicting silhouettes. Through a minimalist style, characterised by the monochromatic use of black, David de la Mano is able to create extremely poetic artworks, a symbolic reflection on humankind.Check out below for more photos of the project. Photo credits: Olivier Landes & David de la Mano More

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    “Space Tourism” by Ludo in Paris, France

    Parisian artist Ludo has finished another installation in Paris, France. Entitled “Space Tourism” the mural shows different brands, Amazon / Space X / Virgin, evading the moon. The mural also features a scene from Georges Méliès‘s 1902 film A Trip to the Moon, which is a very fitting imagery to people’s obsession with scientific discovery, explorations, and expeditions to the furthest reaches of the planet.The work of Ludo, often called ‘Nature’s Revenge’, connects the world of plants and animals with our technological universe and a quest for modernism. It speaks about what surrounds us, what affects us and tries to highlight some kind of humility.Ludo’s work aspires to jolt us out of a longstanding collective denial: despite repeated natural disasters, we refuse to acknowledge our own fragile state. Humanity’s reign on this planet is a dangerous and fleeting illusion.Check out more photos of “Space Tourism” below. More