“It was magical, totally astonishing…” Raphaëlle and her two children are preparing to leave this building on Place de la Défense. With her toddlers, the young woman immersed herself for two hours in the history of street art, narrated on four levels by the Zoo Art Show collective.
Installed since last June in this disused building, this XXL exhibition which unfolds, floor after floor, the history of street art, plays the extensions again. After a theoretical end at the end of 2025 then a postponement this month of June, the success convinced the organizers and the owner of the walls to continue the experiment until the end of next December. A tour de force marked by incredible success.
“We have exceeded 120,000 paid visits. We are very, very proud,” notes Antoine, the leader of the Zoo Art Show, this collective of Lyon artists created in 2018. “This is the French record for a paid exhibition on this theme. It’s a huge score and all this without subsidy,” adds Claude Kunetz, owner of the Wallworks gallery, in the 10th arrondissement of Paris.
The Zoo Art Show is 4,000 m2 of works spread over five levels. The exhibition allows visitors to discover the work of 500 artists of 30 nationalities. The journey begins on the 5th floor with the dark and brutal atmosphere of the “Vandal squat”, the wild era of the 1970s 1980 and 1990. Below, the works now exhibited in galleries and museums. Between these two extremes, all the richness of this art, its movements and its techniques. Known by diehards, the Zoo Art Show aims to be a “popular” exhibition, accessible to graffiti artists and grandmothers alike.
“The impression of being in the street”
After a promising but not explosive start, the Zoo Art Show took on another dimension at the end of 2025. “We have established strategic partnerships with major players like the Fever ticket office and Paris Society,” insists Antoine. Word of mouth, wide media coverage and, says the founder, “more than 7,000 reviews on the Internet and a rating of 4.8 out of 5” have boosted attendance. These weekends in May, all the slots were reserved.
On the floors, locals, tourists, residents of the provinces on weekends… “During their school holidays, a third of the visitors came from northern European countries,” observes Claude.
The first contact with the wild world of the beginnings of tag was a slap in the face. “There is the wow effect on the 5th floor when you get out of the elevator,” confirms the gallery owner. “It’s true, in the 5th, I had the impression of being in the street! » adds Raphaëlle. Each floor is a labyrinth where each door, each room, conceals a different experience.
With a treasure hunt and an introduction to graphing on a digital screen, the youngest are not forgotten. In recent months, professional artists have performed there. “For a month, we had Rime, who came specially from New York. He led workshops for adults and children. Everyone is there! HAS”
Information and prices on zooartshow.com.
