A day of street art in Saint-Nazaire

From Place Pierre Semard, follow the signs for La Loire à Vélo to Avenue de la République. You will discover Une Danse de Passage by visual artist Nina De Angelis: a black and white mural adorning the walls of this street behind the Pas Que Beau shop, an initiative of the Strukture association.

Continue along the avenue and admire L’Aigle by Berlin-based Chinese artist DALeast, the author of a graphic world of mythical creatures home to majestic birds, immense whales, horses etc.

To see / do

Take time out for a break with the family. In the heart of the city, leave your bikes and set off to tackle the sea dragon and its cousin the eel. This wood and rope play area invites children to enjoy the greatest adventures!

Follow the Loire à Vélo signs again and turn onto Rue Henri Gautier, where you will find Fynbos by Nardstar*, a South African artist from Cape Town. Here, she has painted a garden of fynbos flowers, which are typical of South Africa.

On the corner of Rue Henri Gautier and Rue des Frères Pereire, you will discover the work Unravel by Matt Adnate: the extraordinarily realistic face of this Aboriginal child was painted for the “Les Escales” festival on the theme of Melbourne, a city home to many of the artist’s other works.

To see / do

• The Simone Veil Theatre
• Access to the roof of the submarine base and its view of the basins of Saint-Nazaire

From Rue Henri Gautier, you will see Serendipity by Ellen Ruth. Here, she illustrates her vision of the “Les Escales” festival through a multitude of different-coloured forms that slot together and play off each other.

To see / do

• Escal’Atlantic
• Le Grand Café
• Discover Le pied, le Pull-Over et le Système Digestive by artists Daniel Dewar and Gregory Gicquel, sitting among the sand and rocks and more or less submerged according to the tide. Parts of the body, pieces of architecture or port monuments, these giant sculptures are composed of blocks of carved concrete and measure up to as much as 7m tall.
• A welcome break at Place du Commando. With its stunning view of the Loire estuary, Place du Commando is a popular meeting place for locals and visitors alike. With bars, restaurants, games on the beach, events and even a monumental work of art called Le Pied, Le Pull-Over et le Système Digestif (the latest addition to the Nantes ><Saint-Nazaire Estuary art trail), it is a hive of activity!

… to admire two works:

Exodus 2, Ofrenda by artists Inti and La Robot de Madera: two monumental murals facing each other, made in 2015 for the “Les Escales” festival which focussed on the city of Valparaíso in Chile that year. The two graffiti artists, both from Chile, were invited to make these works specially: Inti on the left and La Robot de Madera on the right.

Jungle de Charquipunk: also from Valparaíso, the artist transports us into the lush South American jungle with his bright, colourful paintings. This work was also made for the 2015 “Les Escales” festival.

To see / do

• Fortified lock: Submarine Espadon & EOL wind turbine centre
• Ecomuseum

From Avenue de la Vieille Ville, go towards Quai de Kribi. The Suite de Triangles by Felice Varini, which you can see from a specific point on the Panoramic Terrace, is composed of red geometric shapes that spread over the port and form, as if by magic, a coherent whole. This extra-large work was created as part of the “Estuary” contemporary art programme.

To see / do

• The Heritage Season allows the curious-minded, enthusiasts, young and old, Saint-Nazaire residents and visitors to discover the city’s heritage. Saint-Nazaire Renversante invites you to discover Heritage Season through key monuments with visits, itineraries, concerts, encounters, screenings, exhibitions, workshops, etc. in a variety of venues including Escal’Atlantic, the Ecomuseum, the submarine Espadon and various other places in the city.
• Request the programme

Avant le silence & L’ombre et la sentinelle by David de la Mano, a Spanish artist with an oneiric style whose drawings recount fantastical adventures like a comic book. Here, he has painted on two faces of the wall on Avenue Léon Blum, like a door to the sea.

Complete the trip by heading to Rue Pierre Mendès France where you will find À Saint-Nazaire, de Nos Navires Nous Sommes Fiers by brothers Félix and Marin Toqué from Nantes, painted during the “The Bridge” event in 2017 and a fine tribute to the city!