Blach (1980) - VIC Rome Place d'Espagne

BLACH (Maxime Blachère) – "VIC Rome, Place d'Espagne" – Acrylic on Canvas, Hand-Signed Original, Professionally Framed

Maxime Blachère, known as BLACH, is an atypical French artist originally from Savoie, now based near Lyon, with work present in 25 countries and represented across galleries in Europe, Hong Kong, and the US. Born in 1980, he discovered contemporary art and staged his first performances with the "Performers" and Professor Carret in 1996. Before becoming an international artist, he worked as a sports teacher and a musician. He went on to develop the concept of "Neo-Fluxus," blending street art, comic culture, pop art, and photography into vivid, offbeat, and often subversive works.

Among his recognitions: a Comic Strip award from the TINTIN Foundation in Brussels (2010), a residency at StreetArtCity in 2019 (where he created a room at Hôtel 128), and national media coverage including an interview on French radio station RMC discussing graffiti and vandal culture. True to his irreverent style, BLACH treats even his own accolades with a wink of humour which is a fitting match for an artist whose work constantly plays with subversion.

This piece belongs to his celebrated "VIC" series, "Vandal Is Color", in which BLACH virtually "vandalises" iconic locations around the world with vibrant, hand-applied graffiti tags and colour, legally channelling the spirit of street art onto reworked photographic scenes. "VIC Rome, Place d'Espagne" reimagines the iconic Spanish Steps and Fontana della Barcaccia, completely overrun with layered, colourful tags and graffiti which is a playful yet striking collision between classical Roman grandeur and contemporary street culture.

Details:

Artist: BLACH (Maxime Blachère)
Title: "VIC Rome, Place d'Espagne"
Original, unique piece (not a print)
Technique: Posca markers, pastel, and mixed media over a retouched photograph, printed on 500g/m2canvas
Hand signed
Year: 2020
Period: 2010–2020
Image size: 50 x 90 cm (plus 20cm margins for mounting into a frame)
Framed size: 70 x 109 cm
Professionally framed in distressed white wood with a green inner frame, triple matted in colours chosen to accentuate the painting, with art glass — frame included, ready to hang
Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, hand-signed by the artist
Note: we cannot guarantee the glass against breakage in transit, but every effort will be made to pack it securely
Provenance: Purchased via Catawiki directly from BLACH GALLERY; since professionally framed