Flacking! But what is it?
Have you ever stumbled in the street because of a pothole or a loose pavement? Discover flacking and Ememem, an artist from Lyon!
A Repairer Like No Other
Ememem, this name doesn’t tell you anything, but maybe one day you will be able to see his art or even walk on it! In the manner of Banksy, he transforms the damage visible in cities to make the roads more beautiful and safer. He likes to call himself the asphalt mender, the sidewalk poet, or the tarmac surgeon.
The artist appeared for the first time in 2016, in the city of Lyon where he lives. Since then, he has left his trace in several cities of France. In 2021, he sponsored the first edition of the festival Art en Zone in Laverune (France), a festival dedicated to street art.
The Street Mosaic
Flacking is the filling of holes or cracks in the streets, especially on the sidewalks. It is done with mosaics or fragments of materials of different sizes and colours. The word draws its essence from the French word “flaque” because of his creations resembling puddles of colour. Ememem chose this name right after his first puddle in 2016 and after seeing the reaction of passersby. His works do not leave pedestrians indifferent, since in the often dull decor of French streets, the puddles appear as real rays of light. This technique is undoubtedly reminiscent of the traditional Japanese art of kintsugi, which glues together broken porcelain.
Nowadays, flacking has become a widespread practice. It can be found in several countries in Europe such as Germany and Spain. Beyond the continent, it can be found in Chile, South Africa, and Russia thanks to professional artists. Workshops can also be created during art festivals or as part of citizen mobilizations. By its beauty, but also its simplicity, flacking allows the artist to highlight the past of each hole, “a memory book of the city”. This art could in the short term become a low-tech solution to repair pedestrian spaces while beautifying them.
Sources: Positive News, Ememem Flacking, Courrier international
Credit photo: Ememem
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