Lyon, its traboules, its bouchons... and now its tags that are raising hairs even among American tourists. While visiting the capital of the Gauls, John Michael Solar, an American citizen enjoying a stroll through our cobbled streets, couldn’t contain his anger at what he sees as a true "urban scourge." The result? An open letter sent to local authorities and Lyonnais media, where he firmly (but politely, in an American way) slams his fist on the table to denounce the invasion of wild graffiti on the city’s walls.
"Lyon is a city of incomparable cultural and architectural richness", he writes in the preamble, clearly smitten by Fourvière and the slopes of Croix-Rousse. But his love story with the city quickly ran into a much harsher reality: facades tarnished by tags, even on historic buildings. For him, there’s no debate: these graffiti are not art but pure and simple vandalism.
"A cry of ego painted on the walls of a shared heritage,” he laments, calling for this overflowing creativity to be channeled into dedicated areas, without touching the stones that are steeped in history.See this post on Instagram
The City of Lyon wants to speed up the cleaning of the Saône quays
Has their call been heard? There's been no response from the town hall for now, even though the City of Lyon recently announced its intention to speed up the cleaning of the Saône quays.rc;ne, after months of controversy. Since the beginning of the year, no less than 15,000 m² have been cleaned up, mainly in the UNESCO designated area. But when it comes to crackdowns, the numbers aren't really there: fewer than ten arrests in 2024 for graffiti. The reason? Identifying the culprits remains a puzzle, unless you catch them with the spray can in hand.
So, is this just a rant from a tourist overly sensitive to the charm of old stones, or a legitimate alarm signal? One thing is for sure: in Lyon, street art continues to divide opinions... and is even making waves all the way across the Atlantic.
Source: Lyon Capitale
