“Space Invaders” at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra  is open for one more month as it presents a survey of the vigorous homegrown and international street art movement that has developed over the past ten years in the Pacific Rim. Home to well known and upcoming street artists like Anthony Lister, MISO, Kid Zoom and Creepy, Australia contributes a distinctive voice to a developing school and vocabulary.

With this show the National Gallery joined the ever expanding list of major art institutions recognizing and meditating on the importance and influence of Street Art as an art form and art movement. Once again the public is involved in the conversation about what Street Art is and where is it going- through the protected confines and altering prism of a formal art institution.

Below an excerpt from the Gallery’s web site:

“Drawn entirely from the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, the first Australian institution to have collected this type of work, Space invaders: Australian . street . stencils . posters . paste-ups . zines . stickers surveys the past 10 years of Australian street art. Featuring 150 works by over 40 Australian artists, this exhibition celebrates the energy of street-based creativity and recognises street stencils, posters, paste-ups, zines and stickers as comprising a recent chapter in the development of Australian prints and drawings..

Space invaders looks at artists and their iconic street-based works at the point of their transition from the ephemeral to the collectable and from the street to the gallery”

HaHa “Ned’s Head Triptych” (detail) (courtesy National Gallery of Australia)

The current show name borrows from the French street artist, who borrowed from the video game.

Lister “Mr. Sinister” 2010 (detail) (courtesy National Gallery of Australia)

Jumbo “X-Ray Man-machine” (detail) (courtesy National Gallery of Australia)

National Gallery of Australia
GPO Box 1150
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA

• Recorded information +61 2 6240 6501
• General information +61 2 6240 6411

National Gallery of Australia Website  http://nga.gov.au/Home/Default.cfm

Space Invaders features stencils, posters, paste-ups, zines and stickers and will run until February 27 2011. If you are in the area and would like to visit the Gallery below is a list of upcoming events related to the show and the participating artists:

This Thursday (Jan 27) there is an artist talk with Mini Graff as she talks about her work featured in the exhibition.

This Saturday (Jan 29) there is a vinyl sticker printing workshop for teens
Print your own vinyl stickers with Sydney street artist Mini Graff. Translate your ideas onto vinyl stickers using screenprinting techniques. Please note that this program is at Megalo Print Studio + Gallery in Watson.

Sunday (Feb 6) there will be a screening of BOMB IT (DVD, 2007, not rated, 93 mins)
An explosive documentary about graffiti, the controversial art form shaping international youth culture today. By award-winning director Jon Reiss.

Participating artists for “Space Invaders” include:

AEON
AZLAN

BYRD
CIVIL
DEVIANT
DLUX!
DODD James
DOYLE Adrian
GHOSTPATROL
HAHA
HOLLENBACH Misha
JUMBO
KEATING Ash
LISTER
MAKATRON
MARCSTA
MEEK
MEGGS
MINI GRAFF
MISO MONKEY
NUROK
OKIPA
OPTIC
PHIBS
PRISM
PROOF
PSALM
REKS
RONE
SIBLEY, DAN
SIM Robert
SIXTEN
STARK Al
SYNC
TWOONE
VEXTA
XERO
YOK

ZAP

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