French – South African artist, Joseph Benistant is among the international artists featured in the ZOO ART SHOW Paris, a large-scale street art exhibition that has transformed a vast indoor and outdoor venue in the heart of Paris into an immersive celebration of contemporary urban art.

Spread across more than 4,000 square metres, the exhibition brings together hundreds of artists from around the world, filling multiple floors and public spaces with murals, installations, sculptures, graffiti works, and interactive experiences. The result is a constantly evolving environment where visitors can move through a maze of colour, scale, and creative energy.

Benistant’s works are vibrant abstract compositions and in an expressive visual language. His paintings explore themes of identity, movement, and human connection. His inclusion in this international show places him alongside a diverse group of contemporary artists contributing to one of Europe’s most ambitious street art projects.

Born in Paris in 1999, Benistant is a self-taught French-South African artist whose practice is informed by his dual heritage. His work often reflects on cultural intersections and the ways in which identity can be expressed through gesture, colour, and form. In 2024, he presented his second solo exhibition, Vernacular Binocular, at AITY Gallery in Franschhoek, South Africa.

A recurring focus in Benistant’s practice is the expressive power of human movement. Observing the gestures people make while communicating, he translates these fleeting moments into abstract compositions that suggest emotion without relying on representation. Working primarily with acrylic paint, he combines bold colour, clean forms, and influences from printmaking to create works that feel both playful and considered.

The ZOO ART SHOW offers visitors an opportunity to experience contemporary street art beyond its traditional setting. Rather than existing solely in public spaces, the exhibition transforms an entire building into a temporary museum where every corridor, wall, and corner becomes part of the artwork itself.

For travellers heading to Paris before the exhibition closes, it is a chance to encounter an ambitious international showcase while supporting a rising artist with strong ties to South Africa’s contemporary art scene.