Issue #90

Street Art: a much-needed common ground

Edito #90 | August – September 2026

Street Art naturally emerges as a unifying force in an era defined by fractures, competing interests, ever more turbulent events, and deepening divisions. What if Street Art were the missing link between our desire to escape and the realities of staying close to home; between the need for open air and the search for cool refuge; between the urge to overturn the established order and the revitalising role of cultural institutions? Street artists are joining forces to strengthen the Republic as a pivotal period approaches.

Chinese Taoism has Yin and Yang. Street Art has outdoor and indoor. Open-air museums and Street Art festivals breathe fresh artistic life into public space, making art accessible to everyone, at any time, as an integral part of everyday urban life. Take Le Mans (FR), where the Plein Champ festival continues, edition after edition, to enrich both the city’s cultural heritage and its appeal through an ever-growing collection of public artworks.
Indoor events, by contrast, offer moments of cultural and temporal suspension – sheltered from the whims of the weather – where carefully curated narratives showcase the very best of contemporary Street Art. This season, Beyond the Streets has taken over La Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris, while WE ARE [still] HERE, at the Petit Palais, returns as the eagerly awaited second chapter of the landmark WE ARE HERE exhibition presented in 2024.
With our special feature on Street Art and Comics, we delve into the worlds of interpretation and representation. Comic books have always built bridges between idealised worlds and the raw realities of everyday life: a dialogue that Street Art continues to expand across the walls of our cities.
In this issue’s Talents section, individuality takes centre stage. Bond Truluv brings together calligraphy, monumental murals, and digital art; the irreverent duo Akay & Olabo breathe new life into abandoned places and discarded materials; electro artist SODA suspends his works like musical notes, balancing restraint with striking 3D effects; Steve Pitocco, through his distinctive filing technique, explores the threshold between abstraction and figurative suggestion; while Joachim Romain continues his tireless search around forgotten posters.
Join us for the second edition of Spera, from 8 to 11 October, in the heart of Paris.

Street Art for a changing society.