Urban Score /  Gentilly Conservatory Mural

Urban Score is a large-scale mural project created at the Conservatory of Gentilly, in France, transforming the building into a visual composition inspired by music, theatre, and dance. The work was commissioned by the City of Gentilly and developed in collaboration with Grand Orly Seine Bièvre and Osaro Street Art. This mural is designed as a visual score, where each part of the building corresponds to a different artistic discipline practiced inside the conservatory.

The concept of Urban Score is based on the idea that a building dedicated to the arts can itself become a form of artistic expression. The conservatory is not only a place where music, theatre, and dance are taught. It is also a space where creativity is constantly evolving. The mural translates this dynamic into a visual language, turning the architecture into a readable composition, almost like a musical score.

The Street Side / A Cyberpunk Female Figure

On the street-facing side of the building, I painted a female character inspired by my recurring visual universe. She embodies themes that are central to my work: fusion between human and machine, cyberpunk aesthetics, organic and mechanical contrasts, direct visual connection with the viewer. Her gaze engages with passersby, creating an immediate interaction between the artwork and the public space. This side acts as an entry point into the mural’s narrative.

The Garden Side  / From Theatre to Music and Dance

As the visual narrative continues towards the garden side of the building, the mural transitions into the disciplines taught inside the conservatory. Theatre / Masks representing comedy and tragedy illustrate the theatrical art form. These symbols reflect emotional duality and performance. Music / A koto, traditional Japanese instrument, represents the music department of the conservatory. Its presence introduces a connection between tradition and contemporary visual language. Dance / A dancing silhouette expresses movement and physical interpretation, completing the transition from visual symbol to kinetic expression.

The mural also integrates typography as part of the composition. Words become structural elements that guide the viewer through the artwork and help identify the function of the building. Large-scale text such as: “CONSERVATORY” / “I dance” / “I sing” / “I play”. It creates a direct link between language and visual art. These elements reinforce the idea that the building itself is an open score, readable both visually and conceptually.

Unlike purely decorative street art, Urban Score was designed as a functional mural. Its role is not only aesthetic but also communicative: it identifies the purpose of the building, connects exterior and interior activities and translates artistic disciplines into visual form. The mural becomes part of the identity of the Conservatory of Gentilly, integrating into its daily life and public presence. This project was made possible thanks to: City of Gentilly, Grand Orly Seine Bièvre, and Osaro Street Art. Special thanks to Lisa, Delphine, Elise, Robin, Katell, Florent, René, and Antonin for their support during the project. 

The Road Warriors 2025 / 8000 km Street Art Road Trip Across the USA

The Road Warriors 2025 marks a new chapter in a long-term artistic project that began in 2018. Over the years, this travelling series has evolved into a recurring road trip across the United States, bringing together artists, friends, and local communities through street art and mural painting. This 2025 edition follows a journey of approximately 8000 kilometers, starting from Austin, Texas, and crossing multiple cities across the American West, including El Paso, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, before returning to Austin.

Once again, I travelled with Sloke, continuing a collaboration and friendship that has shaped several editions of The Road Warriors project. The idea behind The Road Warriors is simple: travel, meet people, and paint murals along the way. Unlike traditional commissioned projects, this journey is built on spontaneity, encounters, and long-standing connections within the international street art community. Each stop becomes an opportunity to reconnect with local artists, revisit familiar places, and create new visual interventions in the urban landscape.

The 2025 edition of The Road Warriors covered roughly 8000 kilometers across the United States. During this journey, around 12 murals were created in different cities. Each piece reflects not only the location where it was painted but also the atmosphere of the moment: conversations, reunions, improvisation, and shared creative energy. Street art in this context is not only about the final image on the wall, but also about the process of movement, exchange, and collaboration.

El Paso / A border city with a strong cultural identity, where the mural reflects the intensity of the desert landscape and the energy of the environment.

Los Angeles / A major stop of the journey, where multiple works were created, including pieces with brothers from my crew CBS and influenced by the scale and density of the city.

San Francisco & Berkeley / Returning to Northern California allowed reconnection with artists and friends from Lords crew while painting along railroad and urban atmosphere.

Las Vegas / A city defined by contrast, lights, and artificial landscapes, influencing a more visually intense approach.

Albuquerque / A symbolic passage through the Southwest, marked by open spaces and desert tones.

Austin (Start and End Point) Austin remains the anchor point of the project, both the departure and return location, closing the loop of the journey.

This edition was again developed in collaboration with Sloke, continuing a creative partnership that has been part of multiple Road Warriors trips. Working together on the road allows for constant exchange of ideas, techniques, and visual languages, while adapting to each city’s unique environment. Beyond painting, The Road Warriors is also about people. During this 2025 edition, I had the opportunity to reconnect with many artists and friends across different cities, including Skew, Tommy, Vida, Jaber, Vyal, Quake, Bukue, Griffin, Dley and Critik. These encounters are an essential part of the project, reinforcing the idea that street art is built on long-term human relationships as much as on visual production.

This article presents a selection of the murals and visual moments that best represent this edition of The Road Warriors. Rather than documenting every piece individually, the focus is placed on key works and atmospheres that define the overall experience of the trip. Each mural exists both as an individual artwork and as part of a larger narrative spanning thousands of kilometers.

Since its first edition in 2018, The Road Warriors has become a recurring artistic format rather than a single project. Each year (2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, and now 2025), the journey evolves, expands, and adapts to new cities, new encounters, and new artistic directions. What remains constant is the core idea: painting on the road as a way of connecting places, people, and experiences.

VALKYRIE Geneva during the “House of Paint” project

“Valkyrie” in Geneva is more than a façade painting, it is a statement about our times. Being invited to Geneva for the House of Paint project was both an honor and a milestone in my artistic journey. The event brought together a community of international street artists to transform walls outside and inside severals buildings into vibrant narratives, and I was fortunate to contribute with a large-scale mural titled Valkyrie.

From the very beginning, the organization by Wall’s Street GVA and House of Paint was as always warm and perfect, i had honor to participate to previous edition in Geneva, you can find here, Edition 1 / Edition 2 / Edition 3. The team provided a space where creativity could flourish without limits, and the local community welcomed us with an openness that is rare to encounter. I am also grateful to Loopcolors for their unwavering support in providing the tools and materials that made this project possible.

The mural, titled “Valkyrie,” is not just an image but a narrative frozen in time. I envisioned a cyberpunk valkyrie, a contemporary reinterpretation of the mythological female warrior. Traditionally, Valkyries in Norse mythology were figures who decided the fate of warriors in battle, guiding the chosen ones to Valhalla. In my piece, this legendary archetype is reimagined within the framework of the 21st century, where humanity is constantly negotiating its relationship with technology.

The Valkyrie figure stands tall, embodying strength, resilience, and grace. She represents a hybrid identity: part human, part machine, yet deeply anchored in the human struggle for meaning and dignity. By her side, a robotic companion armed with dual katanas emerges as both guardian and ally. This figure symbolizes the tools we create, machines that can either defend or endanger us, depending on how we choose to use them. Together, they invite reflection on our evolving bond with technology, urging us to confront both its promises and its perils.

Surrounding the two protagonists are peonies, chosen deliberately for their symbolism of courage and perseverance. Their delicate petals contrast with the sharp, metallic forms of cybernetic elements woven throughout the composition. This juxtaposition is central to the piece: the organic versus the mechanical, tradition versus innovation, vulnerability versus resilience. As in much of my work, the mural revisits a recurring theme: how do we preserve our humanity as we merge with the machines of our era? This question has become increasingly urgent as technology permeates every aspect of our lives, from communication to art, from medicine to warfare.

The House of Paint project provided the perfect stage for this exploration. With the support of the organizers, partners, and local community, this mural has become part of Geneva’s cultural landscape, adding one more voice to the city’s vibrant conversation with art. For me personally, it marks another step in an ongoing journey to question the role of art in a world increasingly shaped by technology, and to celebrate the resilience of humanity as we navigate that transformation.

STREET ART GONESSE FRANCE / From 1999 Graffiti to Public Art

There are murals that mark a career, and there are murals that mark a life. Painting this artwork in Gonesse, France, was unlike any other project I have completed. It was not simply another public commission or another opportunity to create a large-scale mural. It was a return to the place where everything began.

Long before becoming a professional mural artist, before travelling across Europe to paint public artworks, and before founding my artistic practice in 2008, I was a teenager exploring the streets of Gonesse with spray cans, learning through experimentation, making mistakes and gradually discovering my own visual language. More than twenty-five years later, I returned to the same city—not to paint illegally as I had done during my youth, but as an invited artist, commissioned to create a permanent mural for the inauguration of Télégraff, Gonesse’s new cultural third place. For me, it felt like closing a circle.

From My First Graffiti to Public Art

My relationship with graffiti began in 1999. Like many young artists of my generation, I discovered graffiti through curiosity, freedom and the desire to leave a mark on the urban landscape. Gonesse became my first playground, where I experimented with letters, colours and compositions while learning the fundamentals of spray painting.

Those early years were not about recognition or professional ambitions. They were about discovering an artistic identity. Without realizing it at the time, every wall, every sketchbook and every failed attempt was helping shape the work I create today. Many years later, after studying Fine Arts, developing my own artistic universe and producing murals throughout France and abroad, returning to Gonesse carried a special meaning. The city where I had taken my first artistic steps was now inviting me back to contribute to its cultural heritage.

Painting for the Inauguration of Télégraff

The mural was created for the inauguration of Télégraff, a new cultural and community space developed by the City of Gonesse. Designed as a place where creativity, dialogue and local initiatives can meet, Télégraff represents a new chapter in the city’s cultural life.

Creating a mural for such a place immediately felt meaningful. Public art has the ability to transform architecture into shared experiences. Unlike artworks displayed inside galleries or museums, murals become part of everyday life. Residents encounter them while walking to work, students pass by them every day, and children grow up with them becoming familiar landmarks within their neighbourhood.

Knowing that this artwork would become part of that daily environment made the commission particularly rewarding.

Returning to My Roots

Every artist carries places that continue to shape their imagination long after leaving them. Walking once again through streets that had been so familiar during my adolescence inevitably brought back memories. Some buildings had changed. Some places had disappeared. Others remained almost untouched.

Returning as an invited mural artist created an unexpected contrast between past and present. Years earlier, my relationship with walls had been spontaneous, driven only by personal expression. Today, those same skills have evolved into commissioned public artworks created in collaboration with municipalities, cultural organisations and institutions. That evolution reflects not only my own artistic journey, but also the changing perception of urban art itself.

Over the last two decades, graffiti and street art have gradually become recognised as legitimate forms of public artistic expression capable of enriching cities and creating dialogue between communities. Being invited by my hometown to contribute to that transformation remains one of the most meaningful moments of my career.

An Artwork About Transmission

Although every viewer brings their own interpretation to a mural, I wanted this piece to communicate something beyond its visual appearance. For me, it represents transmission. Transmission between generations. Between experience and curiosity.

Between the teenager discovering graffiti for the first time and the professional artist returning years later. The mural is therefore not only connected to my own story. It also belongs to everyone growing up in Gonesse today. Perhaps one young visitor passing through Télégraff will become interested in drawing, painting or creating after seeing this wall. If that happens, the artwork will have achieved something far greater than decoration.

Meeting People Who Helped Shape the City’s History

One particularly meaningful moment during the project was meeting Jean-Pierre Blazy, the former mayor of Gonesse. When I was growing up, he was already serving as mayor of the city. Having the opportunity to stand beside him at the end of his final term, holding the event flyer after completing a mural in my hometown, created a powerful sense of perspective. As a child, I could never have imagined that one day I would be invited back by the city to create a public artwork for one of its cultural spaces.

Moments like these remind us that artistic careers are often built over decades through perseverance, continuous learning and countless hours of work that remain invisible to the public.

Creating Public Art for Local Communities

One aspect of mural painting that continues to inspire me is its accessibility. Unlike artworks displayed inside private collections, murals belong to the public space. They become part of the visual identity of a neighbourhood and are freely accessible to everyone. Projects like Télégraff demonstrate how contemporary public art can strengthen connections between artists, residents and local communities while encouraging cultural participation.

For municipalities, investing in public art is also a way of preserving local identity and creating spaces where people feel represented.

A Journey That Comes Full Circle

Looking back, this mural represents far more than a single commission. It brings together many different stages of my life: My first graffiti experiments in Gonesse in 1999 / My Fine Arts education / The creation of my professional studio in 2008 / Years spent painting murals throughout France and internationally and finally, returning to the city where it all began. Every artist has places that remain permanently connected to their story. For me, Gonesse will always be one of them. Returning home as a professional mural artist was not simply a return to a location.

It was the opportunity to see my own journey from a different perspective. Sometimes, the longest journeys do not take us to the other side of the world. Sometimes, they simply bring us back to where everything started.

About Alex Kanos

Alex Kanos is a French mural artist specializing in large-scale public artworks that combine Art Nouveau influences, cyberpunk aesthetics and organic-mechanical compositions. Working throughout France and internationally, his murals explore the evolving relationship between humanity, technology, mythology and memory. Each project is designed specifically for its location, creating artworks that become lasting parts of the urban landscape. If you are interested in commissioning a mural, cultural project or public artwork, feel free to explore the rest of the website or get in touch through the contact page.

Street Art in Vejle Denmark – A Cyberpunk Mural by Alex Kanos

I take part in street art project in Vejle Denmark, invited by Vejle Kommune and Graffiti Bible as part of the city’s municipal street art festival. From the moment I arrived, I received a warm welcome from the organizing team. Special thanks go to Pernille and Eske Touborg for their support and hospitality throughout the project.

The city was particularly vibrant during my stay. Student celebrations and cultural events filled the streets, creating an atmosphere of energy and optimism. Despite occasional rain, the local community remained cheerful and welcoming, reflecting the positive spirit that characterizes Danish culture. Meeting artists from different countries was one of the highlights of the experience. The festival brought together a diverse group of creators, each contributing their own vision to the urban landscape of Vejle.

For this project, I was invited to paint on a large concrete structure. After the festival, the artwork was relocated to the gardens of a major university, allowing it to continue interacting with new audiences in an educational environment. The mural depicts a cyberpunk woman, blending organic forms with mechanical elements. Inspired by Art Nouveau aesthetics and contemporary technological themes, the piece explores the relationship between humanity and machines. As artificial intelligence, digital technologies and connected systems become increasingly present in everyday life, the mural asks a simple question: how can we preserve our humanity while embracing technological progress?

Visually, the artwork combines influences from fairy tales, Art Nouveau and cyberpunk culture. Soft flowing shapes coexist with mechanical structures, creating a contrast between nature and technology. This duality has become a recurring theme in my artistic practice. Rather than opposing technological development, my work seeks to examine how human identity evolves alongside innovation.

Projects such as the Vejle Street Art Festival demonstrate the power of public art to create dialogue across cultures. Street art transforms public spaces into open galleries where residents, students and visitors can engage with contemporary artistic ideas. Having this mural installed near a university gives it an additional dimension. It becomes part of the daily environment of students and researchers who are themselves shaping the future.

Alex Kanos is a French mural artist known for large-scale works combining organic aesthetics, mechanical structures and contemporary narratives. His murals can be found in cities across Europe and explore themes related to technology, identity, mythology and the future of humanity. If you would like to commission a mural, public art installation or cultural project, feel free to contact me through my website.

By Alex KANOS, Spray on wall / Organised by Vejle Kommune and GraffitiBible / Location Vejle Denmark / Thanks to Pernille & Eske Tuborg

New Street Art Mural OPHELIE La Karriere! 

OPHELIE LA KARRIERE 2024 / I’m excited to present my latest mural created in the stunning setting of La Karriere, a former Comblanchien white stone quarry now dedicated to street art. Like many of my previous works, such as those in Geneva and Lyon, this piece explores the fusion of organic and mechanical elements.

Ophelie, a woman intertwined with machinery, delicately holds a feather symbolizing wisdom, a recurring motif in my work. The mural reflects on the merging of humanity with technology, the composition forms a visual labyrinth, mixing 19th-century imagery with futuristic elements, inviting viewers to question how we can maintain our humanity amidst rapid technological progress. As always, my goal is to engage the viewer in their own interpretation, making the artwork a personal journey through time and transformation.

A Monumental Street Art Mural Created at La Karrière

“Ophélie” is a large-scale mural created by French artist Alex Kanos during the 2024 edition of La Karrière, an open-air street art festival located in Villars-Fontaine, Burgundy, France. Painted directly onto the impressive limestone walls of a former Comblanchien stone quarry, the artwork continues Alex Kanos’ exploration of the relationship between humanity, nature and technology.

The composition portrays a feminine figure intertwined with intricate mechanical structures, creating a visual dialogue between organic life and artificial evolution. Inspired by Art Nouveau, science fiction and contemporary urban art, the mural invites viewers to navigate through layers of symbolism, details and hidden connections.

At the center of the composition, a feather appears as a recurring symbol of wisdom, memory and human consciousness. The monumental scale of the quarry transforms the artwork into an immersive experience, allowing the viewer to discover new elements from different distances and perspectives.

About La Karrière

La Karrière is one of the most unique street art locations in France. Situated in the village of Villars-Fontaine, the site occupies a former limestone quarry whose massive white stone walls provide a spectacular canvas for contemporary artists. Each year, the festival brings together muralists, street artists and visual creators from different backgrounds.

The contrast between industrial heritage, natural landscapes and contemporary art creates an environment unlike traditional urban mural projects. The quarry’s monumental dimensions encourage artists to work at an architectural scale, allowing visitors to experience artworks as part of the landscape itself.

The Artistic Concept Behind Ophelie La Karriere

The character represented in “Ophélie” reflects a recurring theme in Alex Kanos’ artistic practice: the coexistence of organic and mechanical systems. Rather than depicting technology as a threat or a solution, the mural explores the increasingly complex relationship between human beings and the technological environments they create.

Mechanical components merge with flowing botanical forms, creating a visual labyrinth where past and future coexist. Influences from nineteenth-century decorative arts can be found throughout the composition, particularly in the flowing lines inspired by Art Nouveau. These historical references are combined with futuristic mechanical structures, producing a timeless image situated somewhere between memory and anticipation.

The work does not provide a fixed narrative. Instead, viewers are encouraged to construct their own interpretation while exploring the numerous details embedded within the mural.

Wisdom and Art: A Tribute to Minerva at “Trésors de Banlieues”

Minerva is a part of the remarkable exhibition “Trésors de Banlieues,” which brings together contributions from over 70 local communities, I had the privilege to create a mural for the event. The exhibition showcases the artistic richness of suburban cities, featuring works from the 17th century to today, across various forms including painting, sculpture, and photography.

For my piece, I drew inspiration from Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. Her owl, a symbol of knowledge, takes flight at dusk, embodying the understanding that comes fater observation.

This theme of duality—human and machine, organic and mechanical, nature and city—echoes throughout my work. In this mural, the character represents the fusion of human and machine, much like the factory workers of our industrial past. The peony flower, a symbol of honor and hope, ties the piece together, and each element invites viewers to interpret their own meaning.

The mural is inspired by Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. In Roman mythology, Minerva embodies intelligence, strategy, craft, and knowledge. She is often associated with structured thought and the ability to understand the world through observation and reflection rather than impulse. This conceptual foundation plays a central role in the construction of the mural.

One of the key symbolic elements in the work is the owl, traditionally associated with Minerva. The owl represents knowledge and perception, particularly the idea of understanding that emerges after observation. In the mural, the owl is depicted as a figure of transition, taking flight at dusk, a moment that symbolizes passage between visibility and obscurity, knowledge and uncertainty.

This idea of duality is present throughout the composition. The mural explores the relationship between human and machine, organic and mechanical, nature and city. These oppositions are not treated as contradictions but as interconnected systems. The artwork suggests that contemporary identity is shaped by the constant overlap of these forces.

The character represented in the mural embodies this fusion. Rather than separating human and machine elements, the figure integrates both, reflecting the evolution of industrial society and its impact on human perception and labor. This references historical industrial workers while also projecting into contemporary technological environments.

Industrial memory is an important layer of the work. The mural reflects on the transformation of labor and production systems, where human gesture and mechanical processes have become increasingly intertwined. This hybridization creates a visual language where bodies and structures merge into a single system of representation.

Another significant element is the peony flower, which symbolizes honor, dignity, and hope. The flower introduces an organic counterpoint to the mechanical and industrial references within the composition. It acts as a stabilizing element, connecting the symbolic universe of Minerva with a softer, natural presence.

The combination of these elements creates a layered visual narrative. Rather than imposing a single interpretation, the mural invites viewers to construct their own reading. Each symbol—Minerva, the owl, the hybrid figure, the industrial references, and the peony—functions as an open structure of meaning.

Created within the context of Trésors de Banlieues, the mural also engages with the broader theme of suburban cultural identity. The exhibition itself highlights the diversity of artistic production outside traditional cultural centers, emphasizing the richness of local narratives and visual expressions.

In this environment, the mural becomes part of a collective dialogue between historical heritage and contemporary creation. It connects mythology, industrial memory, and urban transformation within a single visual system.

“Wisdom and Art: A Tribute to Minerva” ultimately reflects on knowledge as a process of observation, transformation, and interpretation. It positions art as a space where symbolic systems, historical references, and contemporary realities intersect and evolve together.

By Alex KANOS, Spray on wall / Organised by Académie des Banlieues and Art Tutti Fonds de dotation / Location Ville de Gennevilliers / Thanks to DJ Dimé

The Road Warriors: A street Road Trip to the West

After first, second and third edition, here is the fourth edition of our road trip “The Road Warriors”, Sloke and I embarked on a journey westward. Starting from Austin, Texas, we cruised through vibrant cities like El Paso, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and Albuquerque.

Each stop was filled with amazing encounters and unique artistic collaborations with local talents. This trip was a true adventure, sharing art and creating memories along the way. You can also find official Road Warriors products on my Shop.

The Road Warriors 2024 – A Street Art Journey Across the United States

“The Road Warriors 2024” is the fourth edition of an ongoing street art road trip project led by Alex Kanos. Together with Sloke, this journey represents an exploration of the United States through the lens of urban art, graffiti culture, and collaborative creation. The project combines travel, artistic intervention, and cultural exchange across multiple American cities.

The journey began in Austin, Texas, a city known for its vibrant creative scene and strong cultural identity. From there, the route extended westward, crossing diverse urban landscapes and environments. The artists traveled through El Paso, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Albuquerque, each location offering a different visual and social context for artistic experimentation.

Each stop along the route became an opportunity for artistic interaction. Rather than simply documenting cities, the project focused on creating direct connections with local artists and communities. These encounters led to spontaneous collaborations, exchanges of techniques, and shared creative experiences that shaped the visual output of the trip.

The Road Warriors project is not defined solely by its destinations, but by the process of movement itself. The road becomes a dynamic workspace where ideas are constantly evolving. Travel acts as a catalyst for creativity, transforming each city into a temporary studio and each surface into a potential canvas.

A central aspect of the project is the relationship between mobility and artistic production. The act of moving from one city to another introduces unpredictability, forcing adaptation to new environments, materials, and cultural codes. This fluidity is reflected in the artworks produced during the journey, which are shaped by context rather than predefined structure.

The collaboration between Alex Kanos and Sloke reinforces this dynamic approach. Working together across different cities allows for continuous dialogue and exchange of visual languages. This collaborative energy becomes an essential component of the project, influencing both the process and the final works created during the trip.

The cities visited during The Road Warriors 2024 each contributed a unique atmosphere to the project. Austin and Los Angeles offered dense cultural environments rich in artistic references, while places like Phoenix and Albuquerque provided more open, transitional urban landscapes. San Francisco and Sacramento added another layer of architectural and historical context to the journey.

Beyond the creation of murals and graffiti works, the project also focuses on memory and documentation. Each intervention becomes part of a larger narrative that connects multiple cities into a single visual and experiential journey. The road trip structure transforms isolated artworks into chapters of a continuous story.

The Road Warriors is also connected to a broader artistic approach that values experimentation, collaboration, and mobility. It reflects an understanding of street art as a global language that adapts to different urban environments while maintaining a core identity rooted in expression and exchange.

In addition to the artistic production, the project extends into physical objects and merchandise available through the official shop. These products serve as extensions of the journey, translating the visual and conceptual identity of The Road Warriors into tangible forms.

Ultimately, “The Road Warriors 2024” represents more than a road trip. It is an evolving artistic system where travel, collaboration, and urban intervention intersect. The project transforms the United States into a shifting canvas, where each city contributes to a larger narrative of movement, creation, and shared artistic experience.

La Semeuse: A Mural for WallsStreet in Geneva

One more time, I had the opportunity to create a painting for WallsStreet agency in Geneva, Switzerland, inspired by a character from Alfons Mucha. I already did a tribute to Mucha many years ago. This piece titled “La Semeuse”, references the now-disappeared one-franc coin. Howewer the franc still exists in Switzerland. My character features mechanical and cyberpunk elements, blending a futuristic aesthetic with 19th-century imagery. More murals i did in Geneva here, Judith, Lancy and Clémence.

A Cyberpunk Tribute to Art Nouveau and Industrial Memory in Geneva

“La Semeuse” is a mural created by Alex Kanos for WallsStreet agency in Geneva, Switzerland. This artwork continues an ongoing exploration of hybrid visual languages combining art history, industrial memory, and futuristic aesthetics. The piece is deeply rooted in references to Alfons Mucha, while reinterpreting his visual universe through a contemporary, mechanical and cyberpunk lens.

The starting point of the mural is a character inspired by Mucha’s ornamental and symbolic style. This reference establishes a connection with the Art Nouveau movement, known for its organic lines, decorative composition, and symbolic representation of femininity and nature. However, in “La Semeuse,” this historical reference is transformed into a hybrid figure where classical imagery meets technological evolution.

The character embodies a fusion between human and machine. Mechanical elements are integrated into the body and structure of the figure, suggesting a post-industrial reinterpretation of the human form. This duality reflects a broader artistic theme present throughout the work: the coexistence of organic life and mechanical systems within contemporary society.

A central symbolic reference in the work is the now-disappeared one-franc coin. “La Semeuse” directly references this historical object, which still exists in memory and cultural imagination, particularly in Switzerland where the franc remains a currency. The figure of the “Semeuse” (the sower) becomes a symbolic carrier of value, circulation, and transformation.

This reference introduces a layer of economic and historical meaning into the mural. The coin is not only a financial object but also a visual artifact that carries identity, national memory, and cultural continuity. By reinterpreting it in a mural context, the work transforms monetary symbolism into a visual narrative.

The composition also reflects a strong influence from cyberpunk aesthetics. Mechanical structures, fragmented visual systems, and futuristic distortions blend with classical ornamental references. This tension between past and future creates a visual instability that defines the core identity of the work.

The contrast between 19th-century imagery and futuristic elements is intentional. It highlights the evolution of visual culture, where historical references are not replaced but reconfigured. The mural becomes a space where different temporalities coexist, forming a layered visual system.

Geneva provides a meaningful context for this work. As an international city with strong cultural, financial and historical identity, it becomes a fitting environment for a piece that connects symbolism, economy, and artistic heritage. The presence of WallsStreet agency reinforces the dialogue between public space and artistic intervention.

Throughout the mural, the fusion between organic and mechanical elements reflects a recurring theme in Alex Kanos’ practice. This hybridization is not presented as conflict, but as continuity. The human figure becomes a site of transformation, where technological influence reshapes identity without erasing its symbolic origins.

The peony-like ornamental references and decorative structures contribute to a sense of continuity with classical symbolism while being reinterpreted through a modern visual language. The result is a composition that balances elegance and disruption, history and speculation.

“La Semeuse” ultimately functions as a visual bridge between different artistic eras. It connects the ornamental legacy of Alfons Mucha, the industrial and economic symbolism of the franc coin, and the futuristic aesthetics of cyberpunk culture.

The mural invites viewers to interpret these layers individually, constructing their own reading of the work. In doing so, it maintains an open structure where meaning is not fixed but continuously evolving, reflecting the complexity of contemporary visual culture.

UVB76 Installation Inspired by Number Stations

UVB76 Installation at CrHOME: Transforming an Abandoned Apartment into a Post-Apocalyptic Narrative

In September 2024, I was invited by UnePhase2Styles to participate in CrHOME (Creative Reality Home), an immersive urban art exhibition organized in collaboration with Moselis in the Bellevue district of Forbach, France. Rather than exhibiting artworks inside a traditional gallery, CrHOME transformed an apartment building scheduled for demolition into a temporary artistic experience where every room became a universe of its own.

The temporary nature of the building immediately resonated with my artistic practice. Much of my work questions transformation, memory and the fragile relationship between humanity and technology. Creating inside a place destined to disappear gave the project an additional conceptual layer. Visitors were entering a space that would soon cease to exist, reinforcing the idea that cities, like civilizations, are constantly evolving. Instead of creating a conventional mural, I wanted to build an environment capable of slowing visitors down.

My objective was not simply to produce an image, but to immerse people inside a fictional future that felt strangely believable. Every visual element, every sound and every symbol contributed to the same narrative. The project eventually became UVB76, a cyberpunk installation inspired by one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of modern radio communications.

What is UVB-76?

The title of the installation refers to UVB-76, perhaps the most famous of the so-called Number Stations. These mysterious shortwave radio stations have fascinated researchers, amateur radio enthusiasts and science-fiction fans for decades. Unlike traditional radio broadcasts, Number Stations do not transmit music, news or conversations. Instead, they broadcast repetitive sounds, coded messages or sequences of numbers, often read by synthetic or anonymous voices in different languages. Many of these transmissions have continued uninterrupted for decades without any official explanation.

Among them, UVB-76 occupies a unique place. Nicknamed “The Buzzer”, the station continuously broadcasts a monotonous buzzing sound interrupted only occasionally by coded voice messages. Since the late Cold War, thousands of radio enthusiasts around the world have attempted to understand its purpose. Despite numerous theories, no government has ever publicly confirmed its exact function.

Some researchers believe these broadcasts are linked to military communications. Others suggest they could serve as emergency transmission systems or encrypted communication channels capable of functioning even if modern digital infrastructures were destroyed. None of these explanations has been officially confirmed, which is precisely what continues to fuel the mystery. For an artist working with themes of uncertainty, technological evolution and speculative futures, UVB-76 immediately became much more than a radio station. It became the perfect metaphor for a civilization preparing for an event that may never happen.

The Fascination of Number Stations

What makes Number Stations so captivating is not only their secrecy but also their persistence. For more than half a century, they have continued to broadcast regardless of political changes, technological revolutions or the disappearance of many Cold War institutions. While humanity has transitioned from analogue communication to satellites, fiber optics and global internet networks, these enigmatic signals continue to travel across the atmosphere using technology that appears almost obsolete.

This contradiction fascinated me. In an era dominated by artificial intelligence, instant messaging and cloud computing, these anonymous radio frequencies remain strangely alive. They remind us that sophisticated technologies are not always the most resilient.

If every satellite disappeared tomorrow… If every data center stopped functioning… If global communication networks collapsed… Simple high-frequency radio waves could once again become one of the only ways to communicate across thousands of kilometers. This possibility belongs somewhere between reality and science fiction, and it became the conceptual foundation of my installation.

Imagining a World After the Collapse

Rather than illustrating the Cold War itself, I wanted to imagine what might exist after it. What would remain if humanity experienced a global technological collapse? What knowledge would survive? How would we communicate? Would machines disappear, or would they become even more integrated into our lives? These questions led me toward a fictional post-apocalyptic universe where fragments of today’s technology coexist with the ruins of industrial civilization. The apartment offered the ideal setting for this narrative.

Unlike a museum or gallery, an abandoned apartment still carries traces of everyday life. Doors, windows and empty walls remind visitors that people once lived there. This familiarity makes the transition toward fiction even more disturbing. Instead of entering an exhibition space, visitors enter what could almost be someone’s home after an undefined catastrophe. The installation therefore relies on suggestion rather than spectacle.

Nothing explicitly explains what happened. No date is given. No war is shown. Instead, visitors are invited to reconstruct the story themselves through visual clues, symbols and atmosphere. This open narrative has always been central to my work. Rather than imposing a single interpretation, I prefer creating compositions where every viewer can build their own reading according to their personal experiences and imagination.

CrHOME as the Perfect Environment

The CrHOME exhibition created an exceptional context for this approach. Every apartment hosted a different artist, each proposing their own universe inside the existing architecture. Walking through the building became a journey between radically different visual languages. Within this collective experience, I wanted my apartment to function almost like a pause.

The visitor first encounters silence, then increasingly unsettling sounds begin to emerge. A subtle lighting system guides the eye through the room while revealing the mural little by little. At the end of the visual journey, a television screen continuously broadcasts a specially created video, extending the narrative beyond the painted walls.

The television itself remains physically inaccessible, positioned behind a partition for safety reasons. This deliberate separation reinforces the sensation that the viewer is observing fragments of another reality without ever fully entering it. Around the screen, damaged architectural elements, pipes and debris subtly reinforce the impression of a civilization attempting to survive within its own ruins. Rather than functioning as decorative accessories, these elements contribute to the overall atmosphere. Together with the mural, they transform the apartment into a suspended moment somewhere between memory, anticipation and speculation. The visitor is not asked to admire a painting. The visitor is invited to enter a question.

The Cyberpunk Survivor

At the center of the installation stands a female character whose appearance immediately establishes the narrative. She is neither entirely human nor entirely machine. Mechanical components integrated into her face suggest a body that has adapted rather than been replaced, reflecting one of the recurring themes throughout my work: the coexistence of humanity and technology.

I chose to represent a woman because feminine figures have long occupied a central place in my visual language. Influenced by Art Nouveau, particularly the work of Alphonse Mucha, I often use female characters as symbolic rather than narrative figures. They are not portraits of specific individuals but archetypes carrying broader ideas about transformation, resilience and identity.

In UVB76, this character becomes a survivor. Nothing explicitly states who she is or what she has experienced. Her expression remains calm and determined, allowing viewers to imagine their own story. She could be one of the last witnesses of a collapsed civilization or the first inhabitant of a world rebuilt after disaster.

Unlike many cyberpunk representations that emphasize aggressive technology or dystopian violence, my intention was different. The mechanical elements do not erase her humanity. They extend it. They suggest adaptation rather than domination, illustrating how technology might become inseparable from human existence in an uncertain future.

The character does not confront the viewer directly. Her gaze is directed beyond the room, as though focused on something outside our field of vision. This simple gesture creates tension and invites questions: What is she looking at? What happened beyond the walls? Has the catastrophe already occurred, or is it still to come? Rather than providing answers, the mural leaves these possibilities open.

The Owl of Minerva

Flying beside the central figure is an owl, one of the oldest symbols associated with wisdom and knowledge. In Roman mythology, the owl accompanies Minerva, goddess of wisdom, strategy and craft. Beyond mythology, the owl has also become a philosophical symbol through the writings of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, who famously observed that “the Owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of dusk.”

This idea has always fascinated me. Knowledge rarely appears while events are unfolding. We usually understand history only once it has already happened. We analyse wars after they have ended. We recognise mistakes once they have already produced consequences. We often discover the meaning of events only when the sequence is complete. Within UVB76, the owl represents this delayed understanding.

It takes flight after the disaster rather than before it. It reminds us that humanity frequently reacts only when it is already too late. Placed beside the cyberpunk survivor, the owl becomes more than a mythological reference. It acts as a silent witness observing the collapse of a civilization while simultaneously suggesting that knowledge may still survive. Even after destruction, understanding remains possible.

The Serpent: Poison or Cure?

On the opposite wall appears another symbolic figure: a large serpent emerging among peonies beneath a glowing sun. Throughout human history, snakes have carried contradictory meanings. They represent danger, death and poison, yet they also symbolize healing, renewal and transformation. Medical emblems around the world still use the serpent as a symbol of knowledge and medicine. This duality perfectly matched the central idea behind the project. Technology itself functions in much the same way.

It has the capacity to improve lives, cure diseases and connect humanity across continents. At the same time, it can accelerate conflict, surveillance and destruction. Like the serpent, technology is neither inherently good nor inherently evil. Its consequences depend entirely on how we choose to use it. The snake therefore acts as a visual counterpart to the central character. Together, they represent two possible futures. One embodies adaptation. The other embodies choice.

The visitor moves physically between these two symbols while exploring the room, becoming part of the dialogue unfolding across the walls.

Creating Atmosphere Through Sound

Although mural painting forms the visual core of UVB76, sound plays an equally important role in shaping the experience. Rather than presenting the artwork in silence, I wanted visitors to enter an environment where audio would gradually influence their perception of the space. A dark, atmospheric soundtrack continuously filled the apartment. Slow drones and deep textures established a feeling of uncertainty without relying on sudden effects or obvious dramatic cues. The goal was not to frighten visitors but to encourage them to slow down and remain present inside the room.

Mixed into this soundtrack were recordings inspired by real Number Stations from different parts of the world. Fragments of coded transmissions. Anonymous voices. Foreign languages. Shortwave interference. Static. Mechanical buzzing.

Most visitors could not understand what they were hearing, and that was precisely the point. Communication existed, but meaning remained inaccessible. The incomprehensible nature of these broadcasts reinforced the mystery surrounding UVB-76 while suggesting a world where information continues to circulate even after its original context has disappeared.

The television positioned beyond the partition extended this atmosphere further. It continuously displayed a specially created video that complemented the mural without explaining it. Because visitors could not physically access the screen, the image remained slightly distant, almost like a transmission received from another place or another time. Together, painting, sound, light and moving image formed a single environment rather than separate artworks.

Science Fiction as a Tool for Reflection

Although UVB76 borrows many visual codes from cyberpunk culture, it should not be understood simply as a science-fiction illustration. Science fiction has always served another purpose. It allows us to imagine futures that encourage reflection on the present. Many of today’s technologies once belonged entirely to speculative fiction. Artificial intelligence, autonomous machines, cybernetic augmentation and global communication networks were all imagined by writers and filmmakers long before becoming everyday realities.

My references naturally include works such as Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Mad Max and the original Fallout games. These works are not important because they predict the future accurately, but because they ask enduring questions about identity, technology, society and survival. These same questions remain at the heart of UVB76. The installation does not predict nuclear war. It does not claim to know humanity’s future. Instead, it asks a simpler question:

Will we collectively address the challenges that threaten us, or will history continue repeating the same cycles under different technological forms?

For me, this remains one of the essential functions of contemporary art. Not to provide answers, but to create spaces where uncertainty, imagination and critical reflection can coexist.

Conclusion

Ultimately, UVB76 is less about a fictional apocalypse than about the choices we make today. The installation borrows imagery from cyberpunk culture, Cold War history and post-apocalyptic fiction, but its purpose is not to predict the future. Instead, it uses speculative storytelling to encourage reflection on the direction of our own society. Technology continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, reshaping the way we communicate, work, create and even perceive ourselves. The question is no longer whether these transformations will happen, but how we choose to live alongside them.

The mysterious broadcasts of UVB-76 became the perfect starting point for this reflection. Their anonymous signals, transmitted for decades without public explanation, symbolize the uncertainty that often accompanies technological progress. They remind us that knowledge is never complete and that many systems surrounding us remain invisible until circumstances force us to confront them.

The apartment at CrHOME provided the ideal setting for this narrative. A place built for everyday life became a temporary environment dedicated to imagination, speculation and contemplation before disappearing forever. Like the building itself, the installation only existed for a limited time, reinforcing the ephemeral nature of street art and contemporary urban interventions.

Through mural painting, sound design, lighting and environmental storytelling, UVB76 invites visitors to pause rather than simply observe. The cyberpunk survivor, the Owl of Minerva and the serpent each represent different aspects of humanity’s relationship with knowledge, technology and responsibility. Together they form an open narrative that encourages multiple interpretations instead of imposing a single message.

Science fiction has always been one of the most powerful tools for questioning the present. It allows us to imagine futures that may never happen while revealing the consequences of decisions we are making today. Whether inspired by mysterious radio transmissions, mythology or cyberpunk aesthetics, UVB76 ultimately asks a simple question:

Can humanity learn from its own history before history repeats itself once again?