Street art in the Thau Archipelago 

Just a few kilometres from Sète, Mèze has developed its own artistic identity through two remarkable initiatives that are transforming the urban and heritage landscape.

Electrical transformers: from utilitarian to poetic 

Since 2024, the town has been transforming electrical transformers into artistic canvases. Gone are the grey, anonymous boxes! Make way for colour, poetry and imagination that brighten up everyday life.

As part of a participatory budget scheme, eight transformers have been transformed by four painters and a graffiti artist. These concrete cubes, essential for the distribution of electricity but often overlooked, have become striking visual features that add colour to the streets of Mèze.

This initiative is part of a trend seen across France. Enedis, the electricity network operator, has developed partnerships with local councils and artists to breathe new life into these ‘little houses’ of around 12 square metres. The aim? To enhance street furniture, foster social cohesion, and give local artists the visibility they deserve.

The transformations are astonishing. One austere cube is adorned with multicoloured birds that seem to be flying off towards the lagoon; another reveals Mediterranean landscapes bathed in light; a third celebrates the local wildlife in compositions that blend realism and fantasy. The chosen themes reflect the region’s identity: the ever-present lagoon, the vineyards undulating across the hillsides, and the exceptional natural heritage. Each work is the result of a collaborative effort between the artists, the local council and Enedis to ensure the creations blend harmoniously with their surroundings.

These decorated transformers become landmarks in the town, topics of conversation among neighbours, and reasons for residents to go for a stroll. Visitors, camera in hand, set off in search of them as if on an urban treasure hunt, creating an impromptu artistic trail through the streets.

On Place Monseigneur Hiral in Mèze, the Chapel of the White Penitents looks out majestically over the Thau Lagoon. This 12th-century Romanesque building, also known as Notre-Dame des 7 Douleurs, has since 2016 served as a summer showcase for contemporary art with the exhibition “Sacré St Art”.

The initiative is organised by the association Les Amis des Pénitents and Éditions d’Art Anagraphis. The aim? To raise funds for the restoration of this chapel, which has been weakened by sea spray and salty sea air eroding its centuries-old stones. Every summer from 5 July to 31 August, the venue welcomes painters, sculptors and street artists in a striking fusion of sacred heritage and contemporary urban creativity.

In 2025, the exhibition “Sacré St Art – Acte X” celebrated its tenth edition with a retrospective bringing together the works of all the artists invited since the event’s inception in 2016. Among the guests from previous years:

Polar, who hails from the world of street art and brings his urban aesthetic to this place of contemplation; Bella Bah, trained in screen printing, with her striking graphic compositions; Momies, whose graffiti-inspired geometric forms engage with the Romanesque architecture; and Salamech and Camille Adra. A diversity of styles that testifies to the richness of the local art scene and the open-mindedness of this initiative.

This exhibition is accompanied by the “Sur tous les tons” Festival, which features six concerts of diverse musical genres right in the chapel itself. Jazz, classical music, world music: the eclectic programme attracts a varied audience. This symbolic partnership uses art to help preserve the building. Admission fees go towards the restoration, a wonderful way to combine aesthetic pleasure with heritage conservation. Visitors leave with the emotional impact of the art and the satisfaction of having contributed to preserving this architectural gem.