“Tourists look up, skateboarders look down“
To civilians, Paris - France’s confluence of art, culture, fashion, and commerce has created and maintained the penultimate European city.
Densely populated and full of visitors, Paris’ relationship and dynamic with skateboarding is almost counter to the romantic clichés it’s known for.
The throughline to either side is the iconic Haussmann architecture that creates an unmistakable skyline and is integral to shaping the look, light, feel, and landscape of Paris’ urban areas.
The shunning of the city’s tourist traps creates a subversion: While many come to Paris to seek beauty and gaze up at the marvels of modern architecture, skateboarders are pushing through alleys, going behind the landmarks, and reaching to the outskirts.
As the host of the summer games, a new layer is added to a complex city, especially for locals such as
@101chichi ,
@m8rius and
@goms.indd , who are trying to navigate their day-to-day life in a city that’s under a microscope in 2024.
“Using the Polaroid camera was a lesson in relearning when to shoot. I discovered the double exposure and that was the lightbulb moment for me. I wanted to capture my favorite spots in Paris by only showing the ground and then used the second exposure to add images the spot.” - Yann Garin
L’HABITAT is on display
@galeriebete until July 06.
