T.A.G. at the Grand Palais
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
T.A.G. is an exhibition of contradictions. It is on show in the South-East gallery, a 700 m2 space which was never finished in time for the opening of the Grand Palais in 1900. Finally – over 100 years later – it is being done up with a view to integrating it into the Grand Palais’s exhibition and event spaces. The idea behind the current exhibition is for the bare brick-work and unfinished nature of the space to provide a suitable backdrop for street art. Alain-Dominique Gallizia, architect and graffiti enthusiast/collector, has commissioned internationally renowned graffiti artists to each paint two canvases: one with their tag, the other on the theme of love. And therein lies the problem: commissioned, constrained by the dimensions and theme, the artist’s work is left completely impotent. Graffiti is not just about arresting imagery and innovative lettering, it is about the gesture, the impact of which is contingent on the social context, time and location.
Many international graffiti artists are represented, from the 70s up until today. There are some gems but the force of the work is subdued by the uniformity of the canvases and the emptiness of the gesture. There seems to be an abundance of urban trains appearing in the exhibition – could this be an attempt, conscious or unconscious, to reintroduce an urban element into this sterile environment?
T.A.G. is on at the Grand Palais until 03/05/09
[...] by its style. I have decried exhibition organiser’s desire to commission graffiti before (here) – once again these large scale works loose their boldness and intention, becoming garish and [...]
Now THAT’S what I’d call an insightful position on this subject. What I would advise though is speaking to other people involved in the scene and bring to light any different points of view and then update your site or create a new article for us to stew over. Hopefully you’ll take my advice, I’m looking forward to it! Try to cover off on some graffiti characters as well if possible, they’re everywhere at the moment.