Since the coronavirus epidemic and the last curfew, the culture has come to a standstill. No more theater, cinema, concerts or exhibitions in museums. Paris has become sad!
To get the culture out of gloom, singer Mika has chosen 9 artists out of sixty to cover the Morris columns and other display places in the capital with original works.
From March 3 and for 15 days or more, passers-by will be able to admire these original works. Paris is transformed into a large open-air gallery, thanks to Mika and Olivier Gabet, director of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
The posters are inspired by the belle époque, Toulouse-Lautrec or Mucha. Mika even imagined one of them in collaboration with her sister Yasmine Penniman.
On these posters, we can see emblematic Parisian places: the Eiffel Tower, the Lutétia, the Palais de la Porte Dorée, the Ourcq canal or even Montmartre.
The 9 artists
The artists are cartoonists or designers of all ages and all nationalities. Each of them had carte blanche to offer a color work that would warm the capital. Each artist has represented what he feels and something that resembles him. Above all, they are people who “make Paris their workshop.” Thanks to this attachment to the capital, they will be able to reveal themselves to the general public.
Mika and her sister Yasmine produced “The Rite of Spring” as a tribute to a musical piece by Stravinsky. It is the image of spring and renewal. This poster goes into the spirit of the covers of his albums always full of symbols.
- Aurélia Durand; bus shelter poster “A summer evening in Paris”.
- Laurindo Feliciano; bus shelter poster “The Dualist Hypothesis”.
- Ugo Gattoni; bus shelter poster “Nebula 001”.
- Annick Kamgang; “Papa” bus shelter poster.
- Marie Mohanna; “Celestial” bus shelter poster.
- Lamia Ziade; bus shelter poster “Gods and temples, oracles and orgies”.
- Alexandre Benjamin Navet; bus shelter poster “Homecoming in the garden”.
- Lamarche-Ovize; bus shelter poster “The escape of the moa”.
- Rosa Maria Unda Souki; bus shelter poster “Open hearted”.
Display places
The artistic campaign will awaken Paris and bring back a little cheerfulness. The Paris city hall and the world of advertising including JCDecaux shared this poster campaign in 2,000 places. The Morris columns, flag poles, abrisbuses and places of posting of the city of Paris will accomodate these 2000 posters, perhaps more. This is a new way to remind people that culture is still alive in Paris.
The display of the 10 works has started on the Champs Elysées.
About JCDecaux
World number 1 in outdoor advertising, JCDecaux is present in more than 80 countries and 3,890 towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants. Innovation, quality, aesthetics and functionality have been its main assets for more than 55 years of existence. Its skills are aimed at cities, airports, transport and advertisers.
To date, JCDecaux is the only global player to exercise exclusively the outdoor advertising business and to develop all its activities: street furniture, transport advertising and large format displays.
Who is Mika?
Real name Michael Holbrook Penniman, Jr, Mika was born in 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon. He left his country very young with his parents, because of the war, to settle in Paris. He stayed there for 8 years and the family left for England. Suffering from dyslexia, he has academic and bullying problems. His mother decides to take him out of school when he is 11 years old. After having written his first piece on the piano, he developed a passion for opera.
At 19, he obtained a place at the London School of Economics, but preferred to enter the Royal College of Music, which he left for a solo career.
His albums
-In February 2007, Mika released his first album “Life in Cartoon Motion” including the single “Relax, Take It Easy” which made him known in France. “Grace Kelly” is her first success in England and the United States. His music videos and the pop sounds of his music make him unmissable.
In 2008, after a tour of North America at the start of the year, he received the trophy for international revelation of the year at the NRJ Music Awards, as well as that of British revelation at the Brit Awards. The same year, in August, he gave a concert in Paris, at the Parc des Princes, in front of more than 55,000 fans. He also participates in the Francofolies.
-The following year, he released his second opus, “The boy who knew too much”. He then goes on tour (Imaginerium Tour). For 3 years, until 2011, he did many concerts and festivals in France, Europe and Asia. He also inaugurated his wax statue at the Musée Grévin in December 2010.
His other activities
-2012 sees the release of his 3rd album “The origin of love”. He diversified his activities from 2013 (concert of “motherfuckers, Star Academy, juror in the 7th Italian season of X Factor then in the 3rd season of” The Voice “France which he won with Kenji Girac).
At the same time, Mika collaborates with the Belgian ready-to-wear brand JBC, and designs a collection of clothing for women, men and children. He teamed up with the San Miguel beer brand and released the single, “Live your Life”, for the promotional campaign.
At the end of 2014, he presented a medley of a new song and “Happy Ending”. The profits from the sales go to Unicef.
-In 2015, after his visit to Montreal, for the first time with the orchestra of the Maison Symphonique under the direction of Simon Leclerc, the company Swatch joined forces with the singer for the design of 2 watches, inspired by African tribal masks . He released his 4th album, “No Place in Heaven”, then went on a tour in France and internationally.
His last tour before the pandemic
-2019 is the year of release of his 5th album, “My name is Michael Holbrook”. He toured North America and received the Music Award at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards held in London. His world tour goes through Europe, Oceania, Japan, South Korea and the United States but is stopped following the pandemic.
His last performance
On December 31, 2020, he was live on TV for New Years Eve. The concert was in direst of the Royal Opera of the Palace of Versailles, inaugurated for the wedding of Marie-Antoinette and the future Louis XVI.
In February 2021, he released the live album from this intimate show where he revisits his greatest hits with an orchestra.
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