The City is Ours №4: Torn posters

Ever notice how those eye-catching ads, posters, and flyers plastered all over our cities gradually transform as they’re torn down? What’s left is often an abstract image, inviting us to find our own meaning. In the late 1940s, artists like Mimmo Rotella, Raymond Hains, and Jacques Villeglé recognized the potential in these fragments, revealing the beauty of ripped posters through their works. But can we truly appreciate these unintentional expressions in our everyday streetscape? Can we uncover their hidden stories and artistic potentials? In the first part, we analyze different types of torn posters with a scientific yet ironic approach, presented through a photo essay. The second part comprises a collection of diverse interpretations of torn posters. In this section, artists, photographers, and observers provide an inspiring overview of the various ways torn posters can be perceived and interpreted.