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The Torn Posters in the Paris Metro
Documenting the strange vandalism I see on my daily commute
If you’ve ever caught the metro in Paris, you might have noticed something strange about the tunnels. And no, I’m not talking about the lingering smell of urine or the guys hawking selfie sticks and headphones on tarpaulin. Rather, whenever I enter a metro station and descend into the subterranean labyrinths, I almost always come face-to-face with torn advertising posters on tunnel walls.
What’s interesting about the vandalism is just how dedicated and deliberate it tends to be. Rather than posters bearing rips at random, they’re often torn in places carefully chosen for maximum visual effect. You can tell that whoever is going around creating these lacerations does so with an eye to artistic expression. These are not your average vandals; they’re actually…
