Keep your eyes peeled in traffic jams… Several Nice motorists risk being surprised by observing the rear bumper of the SUV in front of them. Since this weekend, the artist TooLate – 10,000 followers on Instagram – has carried out an “artistic performance” called “Autoballs” by hanging 50 pairs of clay testicles on the back of SUVs parked in Nice. A deliberately provocative action to denounce violence linked to motorized traffic.
The initiative was taken while a minute of silence was observed this Tuesday, in the Council of Paris, in tribute to Paul Varry. The 27-year-old cyclist was killed by a motorist with whom he had just had an altercation in October.
“This initiative aims to denounce virile driving behavior, identified as one of the main causes of fatal accidents on the roads,” explains TooLate. This action aims to denounce, with certain irony but undisguised anger, the “unbridled masculinity” of certain motorists because “nothing screams virility as much as c******* cars brushing the asphalt at every turn,” quips the artist.
More seriously, this project is in the vein of artistic operations that TooLate highlights on its Instagram account, such as the reproduction of a Statue of Liberty, mouth covered with a bank note displaying the face of Donald Trump . This time, the aim is to encourage reflection on aggressive behavior while driving, which can lead to dangerous situations.
“It is urgent, in terms of driving, to undo the social stereotypes that push men to link virility and risky behavior, while remembering the importance of sharing the road and urban space in a safe and respectful manner,” insists the artist. According to the Ministry of the Interior, 14 cyclists died and 200 were seriously injured in October 2024.
