Street Art in Cévennes

Come discover a circuit of Street Art in Cevennes,

open sky, unique in Cevennes,

In Bessèges, the former mining town of the Cevennes Gardoises, Street Art gives back, to this rural commune, the colors of its workers' past.

Its walls inherited from the time of mines and industry, offer a playground rich in promises to street artists with different inspirations and styles.

On the website of M.I.A.O.U. (Intercommunal Museum of Open and Urban Art) you will find a map (of Bessèges) with all the frescoes listed and documented. see here : MIAOU

You can also enjoy a guided tour with Mariette EMILE (DE speaking guide),

and see his program here: Street Art Cevennes

Origin

« Beou-Cèze » was a simple hamlet in the parish of Saint-Andéol de Robiac. By imperial decree of 1 January 1858 Bessèges was born administratively. Attracted by the richness of the basement, the first Bessegeans flocked to the neighbouring departments: Ardèche and Lozère.

A fungus city par excellence, Bessèges is built and developed in exceptional times on the slopes of the hills and the banks of the Cèze river.

The Catastrophe of Lalle

On October 11, 1861, a violent storm broke out in the area. The flooded Long Creek simmered rapidly in the mine galleries. Of the 139 miners on that day, 110 died drowned, 4 survivors were found several days later, including a young boy.

The Houillère Company

It is indisputable that Bessèges owes its creation to coal alone. Its operation had begun in 1809.

Metallurgy

In parallel with the mining industry, metallurgy ensured the birth and growth of the city of Bessèges.

source: History of Bessèges

click on images to enlarge

Home of the City

Welcome sign at the city entrance of Bessèges (Gard) flamboyant and colorful with a neat lettering (collective Capital Letters)

Comic strip on wall

A Strip drawn on the walls of a townhouse, rue Victor Hugo, artist: TITO & MULK

As a young migrant, Bella became passionate about the drawing he discovered when he arrived in France in 2017. This first large wall pays tribute to his mother who remained in the country.

Guinean – Bella_Bah

As a young migrant, Bella became passionate about the drawing that he discovered when he arrived in France in 2017. This first large wall pays tribute to his mother who remained in the country.

Ancient Stories – Zeklo

Originally from the Cevennes and having spent all his childhood and adolescence in Bessèges, Zeklo remembered the motifs of potato flowers that one finds on old cevenole plates, to advertise!

Tiger residence

Tiger residence: name given by the inhabitants! fresco on 3 floors in the Lalle residence : urban artist : Le Long

Fresque Adec & Nhobi

Detail of the fresco by Adec & Nhobi Place du Souvenir

Artist living in the Gard, The insect says of his works: I want to do works that are not just beautiful. I'm trying to put animals at risk. This whale is its first gigantic work made in a record time of 3 days.

When I grow up – Insect

Artist living in the Gard, the insect says of his works: I want to make works that are not just beautiful. I'm trying to put animals at risk. This whale is its first gigantic work made in a record time of 3 days.

Dream between two worlds – Gébraël

From the graffiti, Gébraël today paints frescoes inspired by a rich, exuberant and yet full of poetry. The presence of a childish figure reminds us that this nature is probably the fruit of inner dreams.

The Happiness of Simple Things – Ted Nomad

Specialist stencil, Ted Nomad owes his blaze to years of life on the road, where he left anonymous traces from city to city. His universe is populated by portraits that are as close as possible to humanity that cross through his encounters.

A Franco-American artist living in Montpellier, Polar maintains a close relationship with Nature: she broadcasts waves of perfect roundness, from visual tablecloths to contemporary psychedelism. The letters produced by the Collective Capital Letters definitively anchor this work in an idealized South.

The song of the Cigales – Polar

A Franco-American artist living in Montpellier, Polar maintains a close relationship with Nature: she broadcasts waves of perfect roundness, visual tablecloths and contemporary psychedelism.

Russ is an artist based in Lyon. Between cosmic presence and organic and even plant dimension, his work opens up a part of free interpretation to imagination. In this living in the broad sense (from the atom to the cosmic scale) the human takes a central place and questions us about the relationship we maintain with our environment and by extension with ourselves.

Continuum – Russ

Russ is an artist based in Lyon. Between cosmic presence and organic and even plant dimension, his work opens a free interpretation to imagination.

Miss Artemis is part of a lineage of women honored and painted by the artist. In tribute to the Cevennes Artemis reconciles and harmonizes the wild forces of nature.

Miss Artemis. Miss MM

Miss Artemis is part of a line of women honored and painted by the artist. In tribute to the Cevennes Artemis reconciles and harmonizes the wild forces of nature.