1. Paris isn’t as well known as Prague or Berlin or Buenos Aires for street art, but we do have some, if you know where to look. This wall near the Canal Saint-Martin is devoted to tags, with a new work of art popping up every few days. I particularly liked this brightly colored one, which you could see even from the bridges crossing the canal.
2. This piece is easy to miss if you’re not paying attention, but its subtlety is part of why I like it so much. It’s not far from my library (aka my favorite place in all of Paris), on a bit of cracked sidewalk that has been filled in with actual old French floor tiles. Its shape kind of reminds me of the crack in the universe from Doctor Who, which is just one added bonus.
3. This is one of several murs végétaux or green walls in Paris. I like the way that you can see the underlying structure here, with the copper pipes guiding the plants up the exposed wall.
4. This piece kind of reminds me of one of my favorite books - Oliver Twist. I love the way the artist used the natural shape of the wall to create a scene that almost makes you feel like you’re peering into the building, and I especially like the muted grey colors that make it almost melt into its surroundings.
5. This imposing piece of art is located right before the place Contrescarpe, the beginning point of the pedestrian market street rue Mouffetard. It’s also right across the street from where Hemingway used to live when he first came to Paris. I wonder what he would have thought of it?