10 Amazing Classical Masterpieces Pasted On Huge Urban Buildings And Walls, By Julien De Casabianca

In 1982, like many teenagers in the suburbs, the artist and filmmaker Julien de Casabianca dabbled in graffiti but it wasn’t until 2015 that the spark was reignited within him, leading him down an entirely new artistic path. He conceived the idea of taking characters from classical paintings found in prestigious museums and relocating them to the streets. De Casabianca’s artistic method centers around pasting rather than repainting classical masterpieces. He respects the original works by utilizing modern techniques such as photography, printing, and pasting.

The concept behind his “Outings Project” was not driven by a specific inspiration, but rather a realization that occurred when he encountered a collage in the street. In a recent interview with DeMilked, he revealed, “I was one day in front of a collage in the street, somebody pasted a poster from a classical painting, I mean, he bought the poster in the museum and pasted it like that, without modification, and that had no power. I took just the time to understand why it was inoperante. I stayed in the street in front of this poster and I saw that it was a fight between the contemporary decor of the street and the ancient decor of the painting. This installation did not need two decors. It was like obvious that it was a necessity to remove the ancient decor, and put the character in modern life, at human size. I did it. And after I started monumental.”

The artist purposely opts for impoverished areas to juxtapose the classical characters, which originate from the local museum often located in affluent regions. By doing so, he aims to remind people that they, in fact, possess a connection to the museum and the artwork it houses. “People passing by don’t know they often own the museum! It’s often public. And they own the painting inside! I’m just to give us back what they own without knowing it!” he says.

Additionally, the artist’s focus extends beyond the walls themselves. He considers the entire environment surrounding the artwork—streets, other buildings, the sky, and the ground—as integral parts of a new landscape that he creates, harmonizing the ancient and contemporary elements. Check out some of his amazing works in the gallery below.

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