Spotlight on the huge murals that have transformed the 13th arrondissement into an open-air museum. The 13th arrondissement in the southern part of Paris is peppered with street art. In the 1960s, artists wanting to beautify their surroundings began painting murals on the façades of buildings in this industrial district. In recent years, thanks to backing from the 13th arrondissement town hall and local art galleries, some parts of the district have metamorphosed into veritable open-air museums. There are up to 26 giant works in Boulevard Vincent Auriol alone. In 2013, the district’s Tour Paris 13 initiative became a talking point: a building earmarked for demolition was painted from top to toe by street artists and opened to the public for a month before being torn down. This self-guided tour takes in some of the area’s most noteworthy artworks.
