Grenoble's Graffiti

Upon my arrival in Grenoble, I could instantly tell that I wasn’t in Kentucky anymore. Everyone around me was speaking French, but the thing that was the most shocking for me was the graffiti. On the front of buildings, sides of buildings, trashcans, power boxes, cars, trains, and on things that seemed unreachably high, or in dangerous areas. Graffiti everywhere.

At first I was outraged. How could anyone deface someone else’s property like that? And worse; how could anyone deface a beautiful landmarks and monuments? I am now more than halfway done with my program. In just two short months, I’ve developed a soft spot for the graffiti of Grenoble. It’s a part of the city’s culture, it doesn’t take away from it. I still get annoyed when I see just a scribble of a signature in red spray paint- to me, that kind of graffiti is simply taking away from something. On the other hand, I have come to appreciate some of the art that can be found throughout the city.

A friend and I stumbled upon an abandoned university building on a hike a few weekends ago. It was covered in graffiti. And it was beautiful. This blog is a blog of pictures. You judge for yourself; is graffiti is a stain on the town, or something that adds to its beauty and uniqueness?


Aimee Goffinet is the Fall 2013 CEA MOJO in the French Alps. She is currently a junior at the University of Kentucky.

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