Visual Noise: Walls Talk - Propaganda Project

In Episode 13 of Visual Noise: Walls Talk, TRP613 and Urban Ninja connect with Propaganda Project, a street artist whose work has been challenging consumer culture and advertising since 2017.

Originally from France, Propaganda Project spent several years living and creating in Montreal, where his distinctive stickers, wheatpastes, and street interventions became a familiar sight. Now back in France, he continues to spread his message across walls, signposts, and public spaces, encouraging people to question the constant flood of advertising that surrounds them every day.

At the heart of his work is a simple but powerful slogan: "FCK ADS." What started as a direct response to the endless barrage of marketing and consumerism has grown into a recognizable movement and artistic identity. Through his artwork, Propaganda Project asks viewers to think critically about the products they're sold, the messages they're fed, and the influence corporations have on everyday life.

During the conversation, TRP613 and Urban Ninja explore the origins of the project, how moving between France and Montreal shaped his perspective, and why anti-advertising remains as relevant today as ever. The episode dives into the role of street art as a form of resistance, reclaiming public space from corporate messaging and giving ordinary people something meaningful to think about during their daily routines.

Listeners will hear stories from the streets, learn about the evolution of the Propaganda Project, and discover how a few simple words can spark conversations about consumerism, culture, and personal freedom. The discussion also touches on the global street art community and how artists from different countries are connected through a shared desire to challenge the status quo.

Whether you're into stickers, wheatpastes, activism, or simply appreciate art that makes you stop and think, this episode offers an insightful look at an artist who has spent nearly a decade turning public spaces into platforms for conversation.

Tune in as TRP613 and Urban Ninja sit down with Propaganda Project and explore the ideas behind the art, the message behind the movement, and why sometimes the most powerful statement is also the simplest: FCK ADS.

Music credit:

“Funk Groove Music” by Alex Gus via Pixabay

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:08

What's up everyone? Welcome to our podcast Visual Noise Wall Talk Ninja and Trip here. What up, Ninja? Yo, what's up? How's it going, man? I'm good, man. How are you? Good, good. I haven't seen you in a while. It's nice to see you. Yeah, that's true. We just had another guest on, so sorry, I'm just being a dick. So in our podcast, we interview street artists, we talk about art. Welcome to the show. Today we have Propaganda Project. What's up, man?

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Hey, hi guys. Nice to meet you and uh happy to be here today.

SPEAKER_03 0:38

Awesome. Awesome. Tell uh the listeners a little bit about yourself, where you're from, what you do.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

So actually, yeah, from France, uh living during five years in uh Montreal, Canada, and finally come back by uh by love in France again. And uh yeah, yeah, I'm from France and do it uh street art since like more than 20 years now. Came from graffiti field and um then covered by cops like a teenager and discovered street art uh through slapping, and uh yeah, it was a new way of uh of singing for me, and uh yeah, it's uh it's a nice uh way of art for me. I went in the fine art school. I'm actually uh artistic director and graphic designer on my own, and uh I love to do uh stickers. Don't we all?

SPEAKER_03 1:31

Yeah. Question first question for you. You you have stickers that say fuck ads or FCK ads. Can you explain a little bit about that?

SPEAKER_00 1:40

It came from my thesis in uh fine arts core because as a graphic designer, I used to work with uh advertising, marketing, and uh capitalism. And um I love to know how to act this way of thinking. Like I work for the capitalism, but I fuck it. So I really love this way to know how to act the way uh of using the advertising. And uh my thesis spoke about how brands and marketing control our life through public space. And the most questions for me is what is the public space? Because it's not ours. You cannot do it what you want inside, but it's public. So I love to act this way uh through stickers and uh slapping around the world to fuck ads.

SPEAKER_03 2:34

I I absolutely agree, it's amazing. I always tell the story. There's there's this guy in my neighborhood that takes my stickers down and he covers them, but he will never take a like alcohol delivery um ad down that's a sticker, or like someone, a company selling rugs and shit like that. Like, I'm not even fucking selling anything. I just want to put you know, art and beauty in the world, but this guy will never take the ads down that are illegal, you know? So it's a weird, you know, it's this weird paradox, and that's why I always tell people they'll say, Well, you know, is it illegal? And I say, Well, ads are illegal too, you know, but no one gives a shit about that because they're selling this product. I'm not selling a product, but that shouldn't mean that people should care less because you know I'm just putting art in the world.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

Yeah, of course. And it's uh a nice way to um show free art outside galleries for free, of course. And uh there is a tonal question about what is street art. Is it something inside gallery? Uh is it earn money? Uh and I love the way to just show uh the art for free and uh and fuck the the the ads.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Yes, fuck ads, fuck ads. Are there any uh recent street artists out there that inspire you?

SPEAKER_00 3:50

I think the the the first one was uh obey at uh the beginning because uh maybe more than two million stickers around Los Angeles, and the way of thinking of this guy is really nice because uh truth around the paradox of brand and marketing as students in fine art, I think. And now it's more uh complex because this guy uh earns a lot of money, he's uh a superstar. But as uh say always, uh, if someone comes to me and uh drop me like thousand dollars to to buy something, should I say no? I don't know. But yeah, the the the the the first one was Sherport Ferre, I think, and now uh I love the the the community of stickers around the world, like people who who are not uh really famous but love this art so much. Uh recently, uh Delaruz, the girl from uh London. Oh yeah, books are awesome, and uh I I love uh her way to give uh speech to people. So that's why I love this community because it's not so um famous around the world. When I I spoke uh stickers with my friends, they told me what is this? It's like uh just something politic, something uh to to spread uh uh rap group music or something like this. And I told them just look around you. It's like you're traveling around the world and uh you focus on famous places and uh and the stuff like this, and this is a new way of uh visiting somewhere. Like for me, I I really love to discover C D truth graffiti and slapping because it's it's it's say a lot, like for political way, but just for art, it's amazing, like London. Like uh when I went in Ottawa, I just saw your your stickers, guys, and it was awesome. Like, uh, who is this ninja or is this uh this uh this guy with the um the hat and and that's crazy. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 5:55

Yeah. Well, I mean, I think that's really why we wanted to start this podcast is to give a voice to the artists that are not obey or uh buff monster, you know, the smaller artists that are getting out there and putting in work and putting up stickers and you know, just grinding, but you know, people see them, I'm sure. If you go to France, your shit's everywhere. Uh when we went to Montreal last year, your shit was fucking everywhere, you know. So um it's nice to kind of put the art to the person. What's the most memorable experience you've had doing street art? Is there one that stands out to you? By slapping stickers or in general? Either or, man. Like what is there one that really stuck with you?

SPEAKER_00 6:40

I think uh when I was teenager uh during graffiti jump, when you don't have a driving license, uh you have to take a bicycle and uh like maybe uh make 10 kilometers under the rain to just make graffiti uh next uh uh to a train station. The feeling it's incredible. Like you are a teenager, you discover um a new way of art, uh freedom, like that's crazy, and I I really enjoy this time, even if I went caught by cops, of course. But uh yeah, that was crazy, and uh I think it's the beginning of my way of thinking about what is freedom, uh what can I do to be free, finally. That's why I I really love to uh be a graphic designer, make marketing, but fuck it. Show me the fucking yeah the the the the the first session uh was incredible. Now I also enjoy uh make stickers uh because um I make everything by my own. Packaging, design, printing, by uh screen print, and uh meeting people that that's crazy. I I really enjoyed this, and uh for the anecdote, I um now I find a way to send my sticker for free every time. So I hack the the postal service in France by uh there is a special like uh special prize for people, uh blind people. So if I uh write uh in blind uh typography, it's free. Oh my god, I gotta love it. So that's crazy. I love to search this kind of tip to stay free, finally. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 8:27

Oh my god, that's amazing. Yeah, fucking genius. That is amazing.

SPEAKER_02 8:33

So, do you find a difference between Montreal and France?

SPEAKER_00 8:38

I think um Europe is uh we are uh next each other, you know, like uh in two hours of train or plane. I can go in Spain, I can go in Germany, so it's easiest to be together in the street, I think. And in Montreal, it's it's different. The the feeling is different because it's it's uh North America, the culture is different, but it's really nice because first culture and graffiti come from uh New York finally, so it was a nice uh thing to me to to discover this this part of the world, and in Montreal it's a really nice city because it's uh the culture is important and everything, uh everyone is together. Sure uh staff. Uh it was nice too, but really different. And uh, I saw you in uh Ottawa, I think the first time, and I told myself, this guy uh everywhere, and I saw you everywhere after that. So, yeah, it's it's definitely different, but uh nice too.

SPEAKER_03 9:39

How do you uh feel when someone covers your art on the streets, puts a sticker over your sticker?

SPEAKER_00 9:46

Yeah, I uh at the beginning, uh like everyone, I was annoying, but now I don't give a fuck because if someone covers me, it seems that this guy saw my sticker, so it's giving me importance. So that's nice in a way.

SPEAKER_01 10:03

I like that. I like that.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

Yeah, and uh yeah, at the beginning, it's always the uh when I started to put to post on Instagram, I uh I check every day the like, and uh it's like uh like like everyone, like oh I want the the most uh followers and likes. And now I just don't care, I just put my stuff on Instagram like a library, digital one. And uh yeah, I don't I don't care right now.

SPEAKER_03 10:30

Yeah, at first it's almost like you know, it's like heroin, you get addicted to it, and I was the same, and now I just hide my likes. I don't care, I'm just posting it for myself, for people like you and like ninja that I know are gonna enjoy it. If they don't, that's okay, you know, fuck everyone.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

Like yeah, and the the streets live, so so everyone can do what they want to do. Uh I'm really annoying when someone like the politics one uh slap my uh slide my stickers, but that's life. I don't care.

SPEAKER_02 11:00

Yeah, yeah. How do you handle yourself when there's people around and you're putting street art up? Are you uncomfortable or uh you don't care?

SPEAKER_00 11:08

It's definitely I used to be comfortable, but sometimes it's some places like famous one when there's a lot of people. Uh, I try to be quiet, but sometimes Tommy, look at this. This girl makes a TikTok, this guy uh screaming the street, so what what else? You can slap, but someone I just want to be alone and don't want to speak people because they just want to annoy you, so yeah. I prefer to be alone when I do that, but sometimes I don't give a fuck. I have uh you know the extensible pole to put the the stickers uh higher, yeah, but I never use it at this time, so yeah, it depends. But um, sometime after uh three or four beers, when I can come back to my uh flat, I'm more comfortable to to slap everywhere.

SPEAKER_03 12:07

Get a little cocky, yeah. Yeah, liquid courage, liquid courage in Quebec. All the swear words are church related, colis, tabernacle. Are those also swear words in France? Or do you actually have real swear words?

SPEAKER_00 12:24

No, not really.

SPEAKER_03 12:25

It's like do they say tabernacle? Do they say that in France? No, no, okay. That's like a uh French, like a Canadian French thing.

SPEAKER_00 12:35

We are we are assholes in France, it's like really bad. Like we don't give a fuck about uh about this kind of uh shit. We are more terrible, like you mean. I always wondered that it's not related about religion because I think it's from the the older French.

SPEAKER_03 12:52

It's just so weird though, you know, like that it's a a church-related thing. I always find that so weird when someone, you know, yeah, because I work in Quebec and people will swear, and it's just like that's not even a swear word, like you're just saying a church part, like that doesn't I don't know, it's odd.

SPEAKER_00 13:06

Yeah, and it's uh uh it's sweet, finally. It's not hard to to word that, like tabarnac, okay. Do you want to fire or just uh be be be angry with me? Yeah, no, that's yeah, but we don't have that in front.

SPEAKER_03 13:23

Okay, okay, good to know. Check that off my list of things. I always wonder. Um don't say tabarnac. Yeah, when I go to uh France. How do you define success as a street artist?

SPEAKER_00 13:36

Be free in your art, just make uh what you want to make, just don't try to follow an aesthetic and uh and hype on the social media because I think and even as a graphic designer, I saw that that's terrible what you we live right now because everyone follow uh the famous uh guy or girl on Instagram, want to be uh famous, want to be rich, want to be and this is not the freedom for me. Just if you want to try something, try it. If it doesn't work, you don't give a fuck. Try again, try something else, and that's fine. So for me, it's street art is just uh be happy and uh enjoy what you do. Awesome. That's it. I say to myself, like you spend a lot of money to to print stickers, and finally you you what is that? You you just uh lost a lot of money, but I don't care. It's like uh some people uh spend money in alcohol, in casino, in I don't know, in drugs, cigarettes. So yeah, in North America, yeah, I was really uh it was hard for me to see uh how people uh consume drugs, hard drugs. It's not like this in France, but like the coming of Fontani Lake Montreal was horrible.

SPEAKER_01 14:57

Yeah, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 14:58

So yeah, I think that's uh horrific. Make art and just be happy what uh you want to do. That's really nice. I agree. Nice.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

Who was the first street artist that you've met in person?

SPEAKER_00 15:13

It was a guy from Paris, a famous uh writer. When I was in the fine art, I have the opportunity to be the um the right arm of you know, when you there is a street art uh festival, and you can help uh artist. I help uh uh um a guy who called uh umnette, it's a parisian writer, and this guy like uh made graffiti uh inside uh catacomb in Paris, like in the crazy places. Yeah, that was a really really nice and nice person. And after that, I have the the chance to met Flowasticas. I don't do you know this guy, the Mek who the guy who draw uh flowers, his name Flower Guy? Yeah, okay, yeah, I know who you're a guy from France who lived in um in Germany, I think. A really nice person, and uh and uh just passed away like five years ago, three three years ago, I think. Yeah, unfortunately it was uh yeah, an accident, and yeah, that's crazy, but uh it was a real nice person, and uh this guy just loved to to to spread uh nice word in the world and meet people, and this guy was nice.

SPEAKER_03 16:26

I I think he was in the exit through the gift shop Banksy documentary, was he not?

SPEAKER_00 16:31

Maybe yes, it he participated to the uh the sticker movie, yeah. Okay, but uh yeah, this guy you like was uh uh a good uh a good guy and uh travel a lot and uh trade a lot of ticket stickers.

SPEAKER_03 16:47

What or who inspires you? Is there something uh music, cartoons, like what inspires you?

SPEAKER_00 16:53

What to make my design, you mean?

SPEAKER_03 16:56

Or like yeah, no, like to from your art. Where do you get your inspiration from?

SPEAKER_00 17:02

No one specially, but uh maybe some this kind of guy who use uh uh bald type typeface, maybe like um Kidult. You know this guy, Kiddult, a guy who who uses extinct or to tag the to leave its own shop and uh stuff like this. And uh it's like trash style, like uh he don't give a fuck at all, he destroys the street, just get it, but he used like specific uh things uh to uh to to be visible in the street. So I love this this kind of artist who make shit but with a nice way, yeah. Okay, but uh yeah, just draw my my my guy uh on uh my uh my paper in his school, and uh I don't used to uh check other artists to do that.

SPEAKER_03 17:55

Did you ever meet up with any Montreal uh street artists like uh Drainwash, Lost Claws? Uh never, never ever.

SPEAKER_00 18:05

I tried to to I try to organize an exhibition at Montreal because uh I really wanted to to organize the an exhibition uh around stickers in Montreal, but I never find uh a place for free. I think he asked me like $2,000 for one week of exhibition.

SPEAKER_01 18:26

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:27

So that's that was crazy at this time because always uh I already um organized uh one exhibition like seven years ago in France. I just share money with um association for two L people, and uh in Montreal it was impossible to find a sweet place. I never I never met uh Strillard is there. Maybe there's a famous guy right now, uh the Squirrel Swan. Uh Anio Anio, I see. Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, Angio. We know Anneo. Yes, yeah, yeah, we know I never meet meet him, and uh no, I never meet some someone in uh in Montreal. Okay, oh wow, maybe because it was too cold. It is cold, it is cold.

SPEAKER_02 19:10

Did you like your time in Montreal?

SPEAKER_03 19:12

Yeah, a lot. It was amazing.

SPEAKER_00 19:15

Kills me that we never got to meet up, you know, like it was just so close of yeah, it was so close, and yeah, I really enjoy Montreal and uh my time there. But but you know, I want to buy a house, maybe have a child, and uh the family was uh far away from me, and uh it was easier to me to come back in France, uh and you know, for the the security, for the um the health, it's uh it's free in France, so it was yeah, easier. It's yeah, it's a hard choice of life because I have a lot of friends there, uh, and I miss it so much. But yeah, that's life, and uh I can come back again when I want because we are free.

SPEAKER_03 19:57

Sure, sure. Any last words you want to leave the listeners with? Some inspiration.

SPEAKER_00 20:03

Just do what you want to do, don't be afraid about others, and uh stay free, thug ads, and uh yeah, and maybe start to do something in the street, even if it's forbidden. But uh, yeah, it's it's opens me a uh a new world of speaking, uh trading, uh meeting people. That's that's so much, and that's amazing because we are together, stay free and uh love others.

SPEAKER_03 20:32

I love that. I love that. Well, thanks so much for joining us today on Visual Noise Walls Talk. We'll see you next time. Peace. Thank you for the tabandak. Bye bye. Peace out, thanks.