Mar 29th, 2016, 08:23 PM

Take a Walk on the Urban Side

By Rebecca Simor

How to inject some culture into your life without going to stuffy old art galleries.

Everyone knows that you can get a tour to see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre or other monuments around Paris. But what if you're looking a fresh perspective, tourism without queues, tacky tourists or crowds? Look no further than that slab of stucco wall painted bright shades of pink, orange and yellow. That's right, street art tourism is a thing now and there's a lot that you're missing out on.

Street Art Paris is among a few companies who offer guided tours in Paris. Their guided tours are limited to a small number of attendees allowing for an intimate, informational experience. While wandering the streets of several alternative districts in Paris, a guide will recognize the street art for it’s history and significance. These guides help to enlighten tourists — perhaps even some Parisians — to the messages behind the short-lived acts of rebellion.

As a beautiful way to take control of the city, Street Art Paris stresses the fact that urban art is not simply an act of vandalism. It’s a revolution it has become an institutionalized expression of contemporary art, with all the pros and cons that means. "Understanding the origins of graffiti tagging, even if it’s what people often fear and find unattractive, helps break down these stereotypes," Street Art Paris explains on their website, "Helping our guests see past the scribble on a wall and understanding what lies underneath the ink: the act."

Their goal is to bring large audiences to appreciate the key concepts of urban artwork. "We want them to be able to make sense of the discourse: graffiti, street art, urban art, tagging and understand the dynamic that brings them all together," the company says.

While guided tours and a finer appreciation for urban art is a rather modern concept, the phenomenon itself isn't all that new. Street art became widespread in the 1980s. At the time, the pieces in the street were just referred to as graffiti. Tourism companies offering these art tours believe the history of urban artwork is essential to analyzing the message behind each piece.

Street art tourism is taking off in other European cities besides Paris, including London and Berlin. The concept attracts crowds of curious followers eager to understand the contemporary art surrounding them. It's a kitschy, less mainstream way to see the city, something everyone can get excited about.

"What we do on our street art tours here in Paris is show people beautiful art, as well as explain and show them a bit about graffiti," The company guide explained, "All this in order that you come away with a deeper understanding of the graffiti scene, about how the larger street art puzzles fit together, and to give you a new found curiosity, leaving you more able to question your relationship to your own environment."

Rather than shrugging off the writing on walls you encounter daily as trash and vandalism, join a tour and learn about the message behind the act. You might just find it inspiring.