A fox, a gorilla or a bird painted on a street corner. In Bordeaux, many people have already come across one of A-MO’s animals without knowing his name. From 11 September 2026 to 3 January 2027, the Bordeaux street artist brings his bestiary into the Musée Mer Marine, in the Bassins à flot district. “Bleu Sauvage” brings together some sixty new works in which the blue of the sea and sky becomes the setting for wild animals. It is an outing that appeals as much to street art lovers as to children.

He made his name by winning the Vibrations Urbaines competition in 2015. Since then, his work has joined Bernard Magrez’s private collection and has been shown at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Libourne. With “Bleu Sauvage”, he moves from the street into a museum without losing his signature, animals that appear where you least expect them.

Paintag, tags up close, an animal from afar

His technique has a name, paintag. Up close, all you can make out are lines, signs and tags. Take a few steps back and the animal appears. With children, the game is to move forward and back in front of each canvas to watch the creature take shape.

Blue gives the exhibition its name. The blue of the sea, of the sky, of certain species. It serves in turn as colour, setting and common thread, a fitting choice for a museum devoted to the sea.

In keeping with its approach, the Musée Mer Marine brings art and science together. Behind each painted animal, the route presents the real species, its habitat, its behaviour, its vulnerabilities and its conservation status. The exhibition is run with HISA, a Bordeaux association working for biodiversity and for better coexistence between human activities and wildlife. To discover the rest of the venue, read our guide to the Musée Mer Marine.

Rouge Hartley, guest artist in December

The exhibition changes over the weeks. After Selor, invited in October and November, A-MO makes room in December for another artist friend, Rouge Hartley. A good reason to go back if you saw it in the autumn.

• 2pm, Regard sauvage. From age 5, for about 45 minutes, children create a giant animal eye, of a tiger, owl, jaguar, wolf, flamingo or whale, and slip in their own sign or initial. Each child takes their work home.
• 3:30pm, Mini-skate Bleu Sauvage. Details of this workshop will be announced by the museum.

Each workshop takes a maximum of 10 children. Booking is via the museum’s online ticketing.

• On weekdays, the museum is open from 1pm to 6pm. Mornings are reserved for groups and school visits.
• At weekends, it is open from 10:30am to 6pm.
• During the Christmas holidays, it is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:30am to 7pm.
• On 12 and 13 December, the museum holds its own Christmas market, with around thirty makers. Opening times will be published on its website.
• Sunday 3 January 2027 is the last day of the exhibition.

Cover photo: Somniatruites, Bassins à flot de Bordeaux, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons