Under the sky of Le Mans, colors vibrate, brushes dance, and passersby become spectators of a suspended moment.
Invited by Les Ateliers des Arts Graphiques de la Rue, two artists from different horizons — AkElo, originally from the Ural region, and… Fragola de la Vega, a Sicilian artist based in France — transformed the barge Piracy into a true open-air studio.
Urban Art as a Living Performance
Far from the hushed silence of galleries live painting celebrates spontaneity and sharing. In front of the audience, each stroke becomes a visible gesture, each shade an emotion shared.
For two days, the two artists brought to life large-scale works — panels measuring one meter twenty-two by one meter eighty-five — where power and poetry intertwine.
French-Russian street artist AkElo explores the sacred relationship between people and nature :
“I create sort of totems where the animal and the woman are one, to remind us of our interdependence on this planet.”
A universal message, rooted in a deeply spiritual approach to creation.
Fragola de la Vega: between dream and rebirth
Facing her, Fragola de la Vega unfurls a sensual, dreamlike universe steeped in its Mediterranean origins.
“I've painted a samurai woman releasing a peacock... or maybe a phoenix. I like everyone to see their own story.”
Her paintings, both symbolic and liberating, evoke metamorphosis, femininity and creative freedom.
Painting in front of passers-by becomes an exchange experience:
“It's a real pleasure to share with people who stop by, to feel their reactions live.”
Artists' dialogues
The two designers have established a beautiful complicity.
“We observe and inspire each other, without necessarily talking technique,” confides AkElo.
And Fragola adds:
“Seeing another artist's work being built before our eyes is rare and fascinating. There's a real respect and energy between us.”
A living showcase for urban art
The event highlights the richness of street art in all its forms: from revisited Jouy canvases to Venetian trays, and unexpected supports such as skateboards.
As summarized by Patrick Loire, president of Ateliers des Arts Graphiques de la Rue :
“We often admire painted walls, but ignore the faces behind these monumental works. Our aim is to make the artists visible.”
Until June, some fifty works signed by sixteen artists are on display on the barge Piracy, in the port of Le Mans - an invitation to discover street art in a different way: in motion, in sharing, and in light.