Points de Vue - Street Art Festival

Points de Vue: Urban Art Takes Over the Basque Country

Since 2017, the Points de Vue festival has made Bayonne and the Basque Country a benchmark territory for urban art in France. This international street art festival invites artists from all over the world each autumn to create monumental works in public spaces, offering a unique dialogue between contemporary art and the region's architectural heritage.

A Pioneering Festival

In 2017, the contemporary art center Spacejunk (now Galerie Kaxu) celebrated its tenth anniversary and partnered with the City of Bayonne and the Department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques to create Points de Vue. Sixteen artists, including the famous graffiti artist C215, participated in this inaugural edition, which achieved immediate success and international recognition.

Program and Activities

The festival offers a rich and varied program that takes place over several weeks in October:

• Artist Residencies: Artists are invited for residencies in different towns in the Basque Country to create site-specific works, in dialogue with the territory and its inhabitants.
• Mural Creations: Monumental frescoes are created on the walls and facades of Bayonne and surrounding municipalities, transforming the urban landscape.
• Guided Tours: Discovery tours allow the public to explore the works scattered throughout the city, with cultural mediators.
• Creative Workshops: Introduction workshops to graffiti and urban art techniques are offered to all audiences.
• Screenings and Audiovisual Performances: Screening evenings and visual and sound performances complete the program.

An Open-Air Art Territory

Since its creation, Points de Vue has left a lasting mark on the Bayonne urban landscape. Over a hundred works have been created in public spaces, in Bayonne and in several towns in the Basque Country. These frescoes, sculptures, and installations are visible all year round, transforming the city into a true open-air museum.

2025 Edition: A Transition Year

The 2025 edition marks a turning point in the festival's history, conceived as a transition year opening a new phase of reflection on how artists inhabit public space. The festival is part of a major cultural event in Bayonne: the reopening of the Musée Bonnat-Helleu, one of France's most prestigious fine arts museums.

Organization and Partners

Points de Vue is now led by the Communauté d'Agglomération Pays Basque, with the support of the City of Bayonne, Galerie Kaxu, and numerous institutional and private partners. The artist residency program allows artists from around the world to explore the multiple facets of the inland Basque Country.