The new school year is looking incredibly artistic! Starting from October 1st and running until November 7, 2025, the general public will get to explore a Parisian location that has been privately kept until now. Located at the Porte de la Villette in the 19th arrondissement, the Mausoleum, transformed by artists Lek & Sowat, will finally reveal its biggest secrets. What can we discover there? 40,000 square meters filled with abandoned objects, seemingly frozen in time, but most importantly, walls covered in incredible colorful graffiti.
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A temple of street art in an old supermarket
Today, it’s the ultimate street art temple, but the Mausolée started off far from being an artistic venue. This space, a disused Casino supermarket, became the home of artist duo Lek & Sowat in 2010, alongside a few other street artists. With their talent and a burst of colors, they brought life back to this vast area that was once abandoned. “We spent a whole year here. We came every day because we are passionate. At the time, we had no budget, so we worked with whatever we had, but we tried everything we could,” confides Lek to ....Parisian.
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A place you can access for free
So, 15 years after the closure of this supermarket, the one that has been transformed into the “Mausoleum” is going to have a true renaissance. FromSince 2010, many artists have come to showcase their talent in this unique space. “We’ve seen [...] hundreds of signatures added to ours. This place is like a guestbook that everyone in the scene has come to sign,” affirms Sowat to the newspaper. The Mausoleum will be free to visit through group tours organized by Explore Paris.
Visit the Mausoleum
Place Auguste Baron – 19th
From October 1 to November 7, 2025
More info and reservations