Exhibition “Art in the Street – 60 Years of Urban Art”: Le Mans Celebrates Street Art from June 7 to September 7, 2025

From June 7 to September 7, 2025, the city of Le Mans will transform into the capital of urban art with the exceptional exhibition “Art in the Street – 60 Years of Urban Art”, held in the historic setting of the Collégiale Saint-Pierre-la-Cour. This free event, organized in partnership with Plein Champ, Lefranc Bourgeois, and collector Nicolas Laugero Lasserre, offers a unique journey through the history of street art by creating a dialogue between public artworks and studio creations.

An Immersive and Educational Exhibition

The exhibition traces six decades of urban artistic expression, from the first New York City tags of the 1970s to contemporary installations on city walls around the globe. Blending in situ works, archival documents, and collector’s pieces, Art in the Street presents a visual and intellectual experience that is both accessible and ambitious.

Nicolas Laugero Lasserre, curator of the exhibition, poses next to a work by Shepard Fairey.

Several Major Figures of Street Art Are in the Spotlight:

Banksy, known for his subversive and ironic works.An anonymous British artist turned global street art icon, Banksy is famous for his striking stencils blending dark humor, social satire, and political messages. His works denounce war, capitalism, mass surveillance, and inequality, often using surprise and clever placement in public spaces. Among his most well-known pieces are Girl with Balloon and Rage, the Flower Thrower. By blurring the lines between vandalism and activist art, Banksy also challenges the commodification of art and the role of institutions.

Shepard Fairey, aka Obey, renowned for his powerful, politically charged visuals.Originally from South Carolina, Shepard Fairey rose to prominence in the 1990s with his “Obey Giant” campaign, inspired by wrestler André the Giant. He uses screen printing, collage, and poster art to spread impactful visual messages on a large scale. His most iconic work remains the Hope poster created for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, which became an international symbol. His style—heavily influenced by punk culture, Soviet propaganda, and protest art—is instantly recognizable.

Invader, master of pixelated mosaics inspired by video games.A French artist born in Paris, Invader is best known for his mosaic pieces inspired by the classic video game Space Invaders, which he has been installing on walls around the world since the late 1990s. His “Space Invaders” project is based on the idea of “hacking” urban spaces with small, colorful ceramic artworks, often placed in unexpected locations. Each intervention is documented and mapped, forming a global artwork on a planetary scale. Invader also plays with the notions of gaming, scoring, and the interaction between art and the urban environment.

JR, the star photographer.An internationally renowned French contemporary artist, JR is known for his monumental black-and-white photographic installations pasted in public spaces. His work lies at the intersection of art, photojournalism, and social activism. Through participatory projects such as Women Are Heroes, Inside Out Project, and Face 2 Face, he gives a voice to the anonymous, challenging issues like identity, borders, and invisibility. By turning city walls, rooftops, and historical landmarks into open-air galleries, JR makes art accessible to all and transforms it into a powerful tool for dialogue and collective reflection.

The exhibition does more than simply display artworks—it sets them in dialogue with their studio versions, thereby questioning the boundary between street art and institutional art.The goal is clear: to help visitors understand how street art—long dismissed as marginal or even vandalism—has gradually taken over galleries, museums, and the media landscape.

A Historic Setting for a Living Art FormThe exhibition is held at the Collégiale Saint-Pierre-la-Cour, a former place of worship turned iconic cultural venue in the city of Le Mans. This contrast between religious heritage and urban creativity lends the event a powerful symbolic resonance: a meeting point between tradition and subversion, between past and present.

A City Fully Embracing Street ArtThe exhibition is part of a broader cultural initiative led by the city of Le Mans. Running in parallel, the Plein Champ Festival, taking place from July 4 to 6, 2025, at Gué-de-Maulny Park, will celebrate urban culture through concerts, live painting performances, DJ sets, and participatory workshops.

Throughout the year, the city also continues to expand its Parcours Plein Champ, an artistic walking trail where nearly 50 permanent murals and street art pieces transform the urban landscape into an open-air gallery. In addition, temporary works are featured on the M.U.R. of the Tessé Museum—a rotating art wall that hosts a different artist each month.

Practical Information

Venue:Collégiale Saint-Pierre-la-CourRue des Fossés Saint-Pierre, 72000 Le Mans

Dates:June 7 to September 7, 2025

Opening Hours:Every day except Monday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (subject to confirmation)

Admission:Free entry

Access:A 10-minute walk from Le Mans train station (TGV from Paris Montparnasse in 55 minutes)

Contact:Le Mans Tourist Office – +33 (0)2 43 47 36 52

An Invitation to Rethink the City

Beyond its aesthetic dimension, this exhibition encourages a deeper reflection on the role of art in public space. How does street art transform the way we see the walls around us? Can it serve as a tool for protest, beautification, or even civic reclaiming of the urban environment? Through artworks, videos, and artists’ testimonies, Art in the Street offers insights and invites every visitor to become part of this ongoing conversation.

Art in the Street – 60 Years of Urban Art is more than a retrospective: it’s a manifesto. A tribute to the boldness of artists who, from the sidewalks of New York to the backstreets of Le Mans, have turned walls into canvases of freedom. At a time when public space is increasingly regulated, this celebration of urban creativity offers a much-needed breath of fresh air.