Street art & trompe l'oeil square
Place Fréhel
Why locals love it
Benjamin Vautier aka Ben is a famous French artist known for his creative performances, writings and installations. In this Belleville district square you’ll find one of his masterpieces – an enormous blackboard hung on a blind wall where the phrase "Il faut se méfier des mots" (“Beware of words”) is written.
View Gallery
View Gallery
Why you should visit it
What’s amazing about this artwork is that a worker is holding the blackboard up as if he's actually trying to hang it on the wall. Another worker wearing overalls is standing on the top of the building with a rope in order to balance the frame. On the opposite wall, there’s a fresco by Jean Le Gac from 1986.
Special tip
On the corner of the street you’ll find Culture Rapide, a bar offering inexpensive drinks, an unusual atmosphere and a terrace overlooking the square.