Place Jean-Michel Basquiat

Place Jean-Michel Basquiat
Former name(s)BR/13 way
NamesakeJean-Michel Basquiat
Arrondissement13th arrondissement
Coordinates48°49′53″N 2°22′33″E / 48.8314°N 2.3757°E / 48.8314; 2.3757
Construction
InaugurationSeptember 29, 2018

The Place Jean-Michel Basquiat is a public square located in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.[1] It is named after American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, who emerged from the New York graffiti scene in the late 1970s before becoming the leading artist of the neo-expressionism movement of the 1980s.[2]

History

This road was created on land belonging to SNCF as part of the development of the ZAC Paris Rive Gauche under the provisional name of BR/13 way.[3]

In June 2014, the Council of Paris approved a proposal from Jérôme Coumet, mayor of the 13th arrondissement, to name a square after Jean-Michel Basquiat. The site was under construction at the time. The 13th arrondissement already has a number of streets named after artists, such as the Rue Paul Klee and the Rue Marcel Duchamp.[4] "Basquiat is one of the biggest contemporary artists," Coumet told Le Figaro. "He defended the cause of African-Americans in the US, and was also a lover of France. He was the artist who blazed the trail for street art, and art in public space."[4] The 13th arrondissement had become a destination for street art particularly Tower 13, which Coumet invited "well known urban artists to create a collective open air museum" before its demolition in 2014.[5][6]

On September 29, 2018, Basquiat's family was present for the official inauguration by the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of the 13th arrondissement Jérôme Coumet, designer Agnès b., and deputy mayor Christophe Girard.[7]

Shops and restaurants

References

  1. ^ a b Thiessen, Tamara (December 7, 2019). "American Street Art Pioneer, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Immortalized In Paris". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  2. ^ Solomon, Tessa (December 22, 2020). "Jean-Michel Basquiat's Enduring Fame: Why the '80s Art Star Remains Relevant Now". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  3. ^ "Place Jean-Michel Basquiat - 75013 Paris - Bercail". www.bercail.com. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  4. ^ a b Sutton, Benjamin (June 20, 2014). "Paris Names Public Square After Basquiat". artnet News. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  5. ^ Hack, Susan (6 October 2013). "Forget the Louvre—Tower 13 is Paris' Hottest New Art Museum". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  6. ^ "Inside Paris street art tower block". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  7. ^ "La place Jean-Michel Basquiat inaugurée ! - Actualités - Paris Rive Gauche". www.parisrivegauche.com. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  8. ^ Lauter, Devorah (February 3, 2020). "Agnès b. Is the Latest Fashion Tycoon to Open a Private Museum in Paris. But She Still Wants to Keep Her Distance From the Art World". artnet News. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
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