Works by street artist Invader go on display in Paris exhibition
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00:00 One of France's best-known street artists on display in something that resembles a museum.
00:06 The pseudonymous artist known as Invader is famous for his mosaics inspired by early computer graphics,
00:12 mounted on walls and street corners the world over.
00:16 "This is very rare because Invader's preferred exhibition space is in the street.
00:21 Today he has exhibited in 188 cities around the world in 32 countries."
00:28 It's a diverse and distinctive body of work, more used to informal settings.
00:33 The curator of the exhibition says the venue, which in past incarnations was both a multi-storey car park
00:39 and the offices of Libération newspaper, is ideal for showing Invader's work.
00:44 "I think it really belongs in an enclosed space like this, which isn't exactly a museum.
00:50 It's a bit of an urban space, as you can see when you walk around here.
00:54 It's a disused building in its raw state."
00:58 Invader's pop-art inflected work carries a nostalgic charge, particularly for children of the 1980s,
01:05 but his interventions have not always been welcomed.
01:09 "He always works at night, alone or with an assistant, to plant his Invader,
01:17 because it's still completely illegal.
01:19 And don't forget there are still countries where he's not allowed to go
01:22 because he's been prosecuted for damaging urban space.
01:25 So despite his international fame and the enthusiasm for his work, it's still very much illegal."
01:32 Many Parisians will already be familiar with Invader's work, even if they don't realise it.
01:40 This exhibition is likely to acquaint a wider public with the artist,
01:45 a man of mystery who prefers to work under cover of dark.
01:49 (thunder rumbling)