From the street to the walls

the “yellow vests” movement in France

Abstract

The French yellow vests movement (the “Gilets Jaunes”, GJ in the text below) is a new kind of resistance and fighting against the state and financial policies. It’s nearly a revolution and also a way to bypass (and criticize) the traditional press - television or written press-, thanks to the digital social networks and instant communication with the smartphones.

A possible expression of this "revolt" or of the support that some people express for it, occurs through what is now called street art. We will briefly illustrate (without being exhaustive), with illustrations to support it, what forms this presence of street art takes in relation to the GJ movement. We will indicate the connexions between this two kinds of revolts and the reasons why it is also important to consider how digital social networks, protest websites and blogs have provided the possibility all around the world to get acquainted with the Gilets Jaunes protest as well as with the urban artists directly or indirectly linked to this movement. In addition, we will demonstrate that the digital memory of this ephemeral art or of this revolt in the streets is a matter of urgency, the crucial question being whether or not are to be saved the historic and artistic memories of the quickly deleted walls (erased by State or local authorities decision).