Paris Walls Speak

I have always been curious about the scenery on Parisian city walls, believing that metropolitan walls speak. Beyond dazzling advertising signs and various event posters and billboards, graffiti in urban corners that violates cleanliness standards yet attracts attention is also within my view. These exist legally and illegally, each with its own purpose and goal. Of course, graffiti has historically served as resistance against global trends or local socio-political issues, exposing political and social criticism, often leaning toward combative expression. However, since entering the mainstream and being absorbed by commerce in the mid-1980s, it seems difficult to find truly surprising masterpieces.

Based on observations of two major metropolises, Paris and London, lucky enough to see representative graffiti works in London, Paris’s graffiti is generally unremarkable and not outstanding. Current graffiti mostly serves as emotional release for young people. Rarely used for political or social criticism, it has become a way for another youth demographic to play games and claim territory in the city, showing off or harboring other intentions. Even so, it still deserves a glance. Paris walls say, "This is existence." Life is no surprise; because I want to see, I see. This is wonder in the ordinary.