Street art 

is visual art made in public establishments for public viewing. Street art has
evolved from its early forms of rebellious graffiti into a more commercial form of art, as
one of the main distinctions now lies with the message it is associated with it. The main
objective of street art is to provoke thought rather than rejection among the general
audience by making its purpose more evident than that of graffiti. The issue of
permission has also come at the heart of street art. As graffiti usually connotates
vandalism, street art can nowadays be the product of an agreement or even sometimes
a commission. However, it stays different from traditional art exhibited in public spaces
by its explicit usage of said space in the concept phase.

Street art has been associated with the terms "independent art," "post-graffiti," "neo-
graffiti," and guerrilla art.

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, a new movement was born… How did it all
start? Where did this worldwide movement originate?

In the late 60s, graffiti arrived in New York City after an introduction on the Philadelphia
side. Whatever the legend, no one had an idea if it happened in a conscious effort or as
a spontaneous circumstance, but it seems it all started in the Washington Heights
section of Manhattan. Stemming from the upper west side of Manhattan, most of the
early artists used to add to their name with a number reflecting the street they
represent, as in TRACY 168 or TAKI 183. Graffiti artists from the other New York
boroughs also emerged quickly, such as LEE 163 from the Bronx and FRIENDLY
FREDDIE from Brooklyn.

Combo, Coexist 

Born to a Lebanese Christian father and a Moroccan Muslim mother, Combo officially
began his career as an artist in 2012. This committed street artist decided to pass the
forbidden zone of Chernobyl to stick up his advertising posters. In 2015, he was
inspired by a Polish logo created by designer Piotr Mlodozeniec: COEXIST. 

Coexist is illustrated through different religious symbols: the crescent, the Star of David,
and the Christian cross. This street art calls for the tolerance and the respect of all
beliefs. Since the attacks against Charlie Hebdo, Combo has displayed his art in the
streets of Paris. Unfortunately, he has already been attacked whilst creating his art.
Art Analysis
Combo’s Coexist is one of the significant pieces when talking about Street Art. It
combined three religion elements in its text to represent a bigger picture. The Crescent
represents Islam, the Star of David represents the Jews, and the crucifix represents all
of Christianity. The three symbols spell out C, X, and T in the word “coexist”,
respectively. This piece tells people that solidarity and harmony can be attained as we
accept our religious differences, when we decide to coexist with one another.

The rationale behind the street art comes from direct religious attacks and hate speech
coming from different groups and demographic. Combo campaigns for peace among
people, especially towards religious groups. The art does not defend religion, but
instead, it tries to defend the people who suffer from stereotypes about their religion.

Artist’s BG
Combo was born in the French city of Amiens to a Lebanese Christian father and a
Moroccan Mulim mother. His interest in street art developed when he was about 16
years old. At 18, He studied at Paris’ prestigious École des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine
Arts). Due to the discrimination and unacceptance towards street art, he was expelled
after his freshman year. Combo then started a new journey for his craft. He worked in
advertising for four years before returning to pursuing art in 2010.

According to Combo, “Making street art is like conducting a tiny coup”. He describes
himself as an activist artist. He believes that activism is the heart and foundation of
Street Art. It is the primary medium for artists to speak their thoughts and sentiments
whether it be social issues, politics, religion, etc. His work primarily reflects both current
events and the place he is in during the moment. For example, he made an art in
Chernobyl to denounce nuclear energy. Another one is when he went to Beirut to talk
about jihadism.
References:
https://observers.france24.com/en/20150218-artist-graffiti-religions-
coexist-paris
https://blog.artsper.com/en/get-inspired/the-10-most-famous-pieces-of-
street-art-in-the-world/
https://artsandculture.google.com/project/street-art