PARIS: AFTER THE CARNAGE
There’s a form of quiet protest in the air of Paris, as cyclists course through the streets with a military precision as if on a mission. Similarly, teams of skaters defiantly weave in and around the capital city as if choreographed, making a playscape of the landscape with what appears to be a joyous party spirit. The message is clear, people will continue with their lives in that city out in the open air, not locking themselves away in fear.
The Canal Saint-Martin district in the north-earstern part of Paris is a picturesque zone with a 19th-century waterway and iron footbridges. In recent years, the area has transformed from having long been a hidden treasure to a style hot spot which many use as an urban retreat. This area is distinctly walled with upbeat stencil art and graff that contain a cartoon edge, frequently raising a reactionary, assertively politicised middle finger to terrorism. Thumbs up.
This boho canal area borders on a hippy vibe, with young people lined along the bank enjoying a sunset picnic. Fresh-baked bread, supermarket wine, chilled beers and hot drinks from thermos flasks can be seen alongside tasty take-aways, home cooking serving as an alternative to the high prices of the commercialised cafe society, which truly had a Friday 13th terror attack back in November of last year and more recently on Bastille Day, with one man and a lorry wreaking havoc, vile carnage. Whilst the feeling on the streets is one of relaxed and restrained resilience after the attacks, there’s a tension beyond the thin veneer of stage-managed joviality.
Words and photographs by PP Hartnett
Date of Birth, Time of Death is the title of a collection of poetry released by PP Hartnett, published by Autopsy in a limited edition of fifty hardback copies priced at £10. The collection shall be followed by another limited hardback edition of fifty copies entitled Three Men, In Tears.
