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I’ve been in Paris for over 15 years now, and even before I lived here, these funny little posters have always been part of my memories of the city…


I’d visited Paris on and off since about 1985 before coming to live here in 1991. Funnily enough, 1985 is the year that Paella Chimicos, also known as spanish-born artist Michel Palacios (one is the anagram of the other) started to paste his trademark enigmatic squirl-headed cartoon figures around the capital.

Taking his inspiration from the student movement of May 1968 – both for the political/surreal tone of the posters and the rebellious way of posting on walls – Paella has continued to draw and paint, with over fifty exhibitions to his name so far.

His latest exhibition is to be found at off-the-beaten-track gallery Le Cabinet d’Amateur between Bastille and Nation, and is called « Rue 1985-1990″, exactly the time that I first saw his stuff. In that period, he stuck 15,000 posters around the city, following a very strict route (Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Marais, Beaubourg-les-Halles), almost as if marking his territory.

For those of you who have been back to the city a few times, perhaps these posters will bring back happy memories, like they did for me?!

Here’s all the essential information you need for the Paella: Rue 1985-1990 exhibition in Paris

When: 26th February – 16th March 2008 (however, closed from 2nd-6th March)
Where: Le Cabinet d’Amateur, 12 rue de la Forge Royale, Paris 11th arrondissement. Métro Faidherbe-Chaligny (line
Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday 2-7pm, Sundays 2-5pm, closed Mondays
I suppose it’s free: yep it is

Bigger map here

The artist in his studio at squat/art collective Les Frigos