The city of lights, the city of romance. Countless tourists pass through Paris every year to see some of the world’s biggest attractions all in one place: Centre Pompidou, Musée de Louvre, Avenue des Champs Elycées, Cathédrale Norte Dame, and the most famous, la Tour Effiel. Step a little off the tourist path though, and you will see some of Paris’ coolest art: Graffiti.

I have yet to see a city with more graffiti than Paris. Doors, alleys, parks, buildings, benches, and just about anything markable is layered with years of contraband artworks. Thousands of square kilometers of underground metro tunnels are completely plastered, and if you take a stroll around the city for an afternoon, you will need more than two hands to count the number of vans and trucks claimed by the French graf artists.

Much like the west, for the older generation graffiti is a cause for upset. It’s seen as a degradation of historic and public property and synonymous with criminal/illicit behaviors. For the young, it’s a vibrant, creative and exciting element of youth culture that has many tie-ins with the dynamic local fashion, art, music and break dancing scenes.