Paris: We visited Lek & Sowat's Mausoleum, temple of graffiti and urban exploration - photos

It's a place that many street art andurbex enthusiasts have been dreaming of discovering for 15 years now. This autumn, their wish will finally be granted. The City of Paris has announced the opening of the Lek & Sowat Mausoleum to the general public. Nestled in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, near Porte de la Villette, Lek & Sowat's Mausoleum is a 40,000 sq. m. former supermarket, which was occupied for two years (between 2010 and 2011) by the famous duo of visual artists and street artists.

Inside, Lek & Sowat and some twenty invited urban artists (Apotre, Bims, Deap, Hobz, Jayone, Jaws, Katre, Monsieur Qui, L'Outsider, Seth...) created ephemeral works in situ. After two years' work, Lek and Sowat revealed their project to the public in a stop-motion film, accompanied by music by Phillip Glass. The project also gave rise to an experimental exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo and the publication of a book.

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This autumn, the famous Mausoleum finally opens its doors to the general public for free guided tours (booking required). Inaccessible for some fifteen years, the disused building is due to welcome its first visitors from October 1, 2025. This was announced by the City of Paris, owner of the site. Paris City Hall also points out that this opening is possible thanks to " the collaboration between the City of Paris, the RStyle association and the artist duo Lek & Sowat ".

For those less familiar, Lek & Sowat are true enthusiasts of urban exploration and urban art. The visual and street artists formed their partnership in 2010. This art project in a former supermarket in Paris's 19th arrondissement marked the beginning of their collaboration. Since then, the pair have continued their adventure, criss-crossing the globe and travelling through Europe, India, the Middle East and Asia. In 2026, the duo will join the Villa Albertine in New York for a three-month artistic residency.

But first, the two artists will unveil their Mausoleum to the general public for the first time. Join us from October 1 to November 7, 2025 to push open the doors of this historic and atypical site. Please note that advance registration is required for these free guided tours of the Lek & Sowat Mausoleum. The RStyle association specifies that each visit (lasting 1 hour) is for groups of 19 people, guided by Thomasine Zoler, Meuh and Eloïse Bernard. For the moment, all slots are fully booked. But don't worry, we'll be adding new slots soon, so stay tuned!

Visit the Lek & Sowat Mausoleum in Paris, we tell you about our experience

On the morning of Friday August 29, 2025, the rain was beginning to fall when we arrived in front of this huge building, abandoned for 15 years and with several windows broken. We enter through a small door. " We've had the keys to the Mausoleum since Monday," explain Lek & Sowat, who clandestinely papered the interior of this former supermarket with abstract contemporary frescoes between 2010 and 2011.

Inside, it's very dark. Only the outside light emanating from the still-open door lets us see a little. We'll be visiting by torchlight," says the duo, who like to compare the darkened space to the Lascaux caves.

François Dagnaud, mayor of the 19th arrondissement, and Carine Rolland, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of Culture and the City of the Quarter-hour, also attended the press tour. Opening this site to the general public is " a way of paying tribute to Lek & Sowat ", explains François Dagnaud, who points out that the Porte de La Villette will soon be transformed. So, will Lek & Sowat's Mausoleum survive this transformation of the neighborhood? As François Dagnaud points out, the site " will probably not have a long-term vocation. But nothing has been decided yet. The Parisian association RStyle, which is taking part in this exceptional opening, would like to see the Mausoleum preserved and transformed, why not, into a cultural venue.

The tour begins on the first floor, in the very place where customers used to come for supplies over 15 years ago. Graffiti on this level is quite rare. We quickly make our way to the 1st floor. Lek and Sowat, the owners of the place, are equipped with headlamps. We follow at a snail's pace, climbing the stairs one by one.

Once on the second floor, we are surprised to discover an immense space, with several carcasses, totally boneless, but still in place, giving rise to a scene from a post-apocalyptic film. Incredible to see that nothing has moved for so many years. Lek & Sowat then take us back to their first graffiti, contemporary, unstructured works created in situ right up to the ceiling. " At the time, when we discovered this place, there were 40,000 m² of blank walls," confide Lek & Sowat. So the possibilities were endless. A little further on, we see works by other street artists invited at the time by the duo to take part in the Mausoleum's clandestine, secret project, including one by Seth. Some of the works give the impression of having been created yesterday, whereas in fact they date back 15 years! Since then, other urban explorers and graffiti artists have managed to enter the Mausoleum, obliterating some of the works and leaving their own mark.

By the light of our telephone, we continue our wander through these endless halls, amidst the garbage and objects of people who lived there before being evicted by the police. Mattresses, chairs, armchairs, saucepans, forks, yoghurt pots, but also cans, bolts... Here, life seems to have come to a standstill. Outside, the ceaseless hubbub of the city spreads into the rooms, along with the noise of cars on the ring road just above. In some places, life seems to take over again, with a few plants sprouting up, creating a striking contrast between nature and concrete.

Our visit ends on the 2nd floor, where graffiti of all kinds, combining lettering and frescoes, is scattered across the four corners of this immense room. Here, there's more outside light, allowing us to admire some of the frescoes in natural light.

A minor disappointment, however, is that we won't have access to the famous skylight, the Mausoleum's centerpiece, as the space has been walled off for security reasons. But this immersive tour should undoubtedly appeal to lovers of urban exploration and underground culture, who have long fantasized about this secret place, and remain intrigued by the Mausoleum's clandestine project. These tours should also delight enthusiasts of the French graffiti scene, with the discovery of abstract frescoes. But don't expect to come face to face with ultra-realistic works or stencils. We're talking graffiti here.

As you can see, the place is plunged into darkness, with many objects on the floor and dust. So don't forget to wear closed shoes, such as sneakers. We also recommend that you bring a flashlight, headlamp or use the light from your mobile phone to get around the unmarked course.