Tower 13

Tower 13 was originally a 10-story residential building used in a low-income housing project and scheduled to be demolished in 2014.[1][2] Mehdi Ben Cheikh, a Tunisian-born art teacher and founder of the Galerie Itinerrance,[3] obtained the rights for an art exhibition in the tower as part of a collaboration with Jérôme Coumet, the mayor of the 13th arrondissement of Paris, to "invite well known urban artists to create a collective open air museum."[1] Cheikh spent six months gathering 80 street artists from 18 countries to decorate the interior and exterior of the building.[1][4][5] Notable artists who worked on Tower 13 include EL Seed, A1one, Guy Denning, C215, 108, and Add Fuel.[6] The artists were not provided with any financial compensation, and were required to pay for their own travel expenses and materials.[1] Cheikh stated that the project had "absolutely no commercial aspect" and declined offers from art collectors to purchase pieces from the exhibition because he thought of the works displayed as "true art, not decoration for the home or for magazines."[1]

Work on the Tower 13 exhibition began in March 2013.[4] At the time, several tenants still refused to leave the building.[4] Over the course of seven months the artists created over 4,500 square feet (420 m²) of art and completely painted 36 apartments.[2][4] The exhibition was opened to the public for the month of October 2013.[1][4] Admission was free, and only 49 visitors were allowed inside the building at once due to safety concerns.[1][4] After the exhibit closed on 31 October 2013, the demolition process began.[4]

Tower 13 was the subject of a 2014 documentary film showcasing the artwork and artists.[3][5]