Canadian boxcar rider and artist Troy Lovegates (OTHER) has traveled the world on freights and foot from town to city many times in the last three decades, sleeping where he collapses, drawing where he lands. His characters show the wear and tear of life as if they have travelled greatly, if not physically, then perhaps psychologically or emotionally. Their clashing color patterns, piercing planes, and misshapen angles are complemented by stoic, exasperated, exhausted, unnerved, and wistful countenances – each negotiating their way through a world full of challenge. Now known for his illustrations, murals, mixed media, and sculpture work on the street and in the gallery space, there really is no other like OTHER.
This weekend if you are in Taiwan, you can catch some of Troy’s friends in a gallery setting as he travels back to remember the 90s, when he bombed Taipai regularly, even earning him a title, he says, of “one of the first artists to actively participate in graffiti bombing” there. Decades later, he returns to showcase his newest collection of characters – and his personal character – in Kaohsiung City. When you leave the gallery, you may roam the streets, where you’ll still find some of his original tags and monikers.
Troy Lovegates AKA OTHER. A Journey Of Stories at Arcade Art Gallery. Taiwan. (image courtesy of the gallery)Troy Lovegates AKA OTHER. A Journey Of Stories at Arcade Art Gallery. Taiwan. (image courtesy of the gallery)Troy Lovegates AKA OTHER. A Journey Of Stories at Arcade Art Gallery. Taiwan. (image courtesy of the gallery)Troy Lovegates AKA OTHER. A Journey Of Stories at Arcade Art Gallery. Taiwan. (image courtesy of the gallery)Troy Lovegates AKA OTHER. A Journey Of Stories at Arcade Art Gallery. Taiwan. (image courtesy of the gallery)Troy Lovegates AKA OTHER. A Journey Of Stories at Arcade Art Gallery. Taiwan. (image courtesy of the gallery)
“Please join us on May 27th, 2023, from 3 pm to 7 pm ( 高雄市鹽埕區大智路35巷1-1號 ) for an unforgettable night of art and celebration. We cannot wait to share this experience with you.”
Nº 1-1, Lane 35, Dazhi Road, Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City
For more information on A Journey Of Stories click HERE
Located just outside Stockholm, Sweden, SNÖSÄTRA is a unique and renowned area known for its vibrant graffiti scene and urban art. A former dump site, it has been transformed into a haven, a site for graffiti jams, and even the SNÖSÄTRA Wall of Fame. Many meters of concrete walls have become a canvas for various artists, and murals and graffiti cover almost every surface. Various styles and techniques are displayed all year, with some pieces conveying social or political messages while others are purely aesthetic or abstract.
SNÖSÄTRA has gained recognition as a popular venue for graffiti jams due to its large walls and acceptance of street art, including SNÖSÄTRA Street Art Festival, the Meeting of Styles – is an international graffiti event that takes place in different cities worldwide, and the Nordic Street Art Festival, focusing on street art and graffiti from the Nordic region.
Last year’s SNÖSÄTRA Street art and graffiti festival featured live performances, dance, workshops, markets, and food trucks. During the first summer days, you are welcome to participate in one of Europe’s most prominent graffiti and street art festivals, with over 60 national and international artists. Visitors could participate in Graffiti, Street art, and dance workshops and eat delicious food from 9 food trucks. This year’s event is holding an Open Call, so take a look at their website and sign up if you are interested.
Naturally, this special place buried in the woods has also become a popular destination for exploring photographers of street art and graffiti culture, and Spanish photographer Lluis Olivas Bulbena recently explored the Swedish spray yard to capture new shots, which he shares here with BSA readers.
In partnership with Greenpeace Malaysia, the artist collective Splash and Burn has undertaken a year-long campaign in Malaysia to combat haze pollution and advocate for clean air as a fundamental human right. The project, led by artist Ernest Zacharevic, has involved five impactful interventions alongside Southeast Asian artists such as Cloakwork, Pangrok Sulap, and Fahmi Reza. The campaign culminated earlier this month in an exhibition called “Haze: Coming Soon” held in Kuala Lumpur, attracting over 6,000 attendees who engaged with thought-provoking art, film screenings, and informative displays.
The exhibition showcased powerful murals, including the “Transboundary Haze” by Ernest Zacharevic and Fahmi Reza’s “Caution: Jerebu Is Coming Back.” Other artists like Cloakwork, Trexus, Trina Teoh, Bibichun, and the Pangrok Sulap collective contributed captivating works. Studio Birthplace, a key organizer, presented a short film titled “Wasteminster: A Downing Street Disaster,” highlighting the daily export of plastic waste. The event also featured films like “Haze-zilla,” “Rewild,” and “Haze: Coming Soon.”
Through the exhibition, Greenpeace’s informative displays emphasized the detrimental impact of haze pollution on health and the environment. Visitors were urged to sign a petition advocating for enacting a Transboundary Haze Pollution Act and engage with local Members of Parliament to combat haze. The collaboration between Splash and Burn, Greenpeace, and filmmaking company Studio Birthplace demonstrates the power of art in driving awareness, fostering dialogue, and inspiring collective action to address environmental challenges, leaving a lasting impact on the fight against haze pollution.
Activist Art Exhibition. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (photo courtesy of Splash & Burn)Activist Art Exhibition. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (photo courtesy of Splash & Burn)Activist Art Exhibition. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (photo courtesy of Splash & Burn)Activist Art Exhibition. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (photo courtesy of Splash & Burn)Activist Art Exhibition. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (photo courtesy of Splash & Burn)Activist Art Exhibition. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (photo courtesy of Splash & Burn)Activist Art Exhibition. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (photo courtesy of Splash & Burn)Activist Art Exhibition. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (photo courtesy of Splash & Burn)
Welcome to BSA Images of the Week! So much to say, such brief attention spans. Looking around at the chattering masses on the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan this week, the excitement of beautiful weather and a sense of liberty sends youthful hearts aflutter. The gams! The biceps! The colorful plumage and sartorial flair all wend and weave down the street and subway steps past you, ahead of you, inside you. Also, check out the peonies and lilacs!
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring: City Kitty, Praxis VGZ, Little Ricky, The Postman Art, Homesick, Calicho Art, Cramcept, OH!, Kevin Caplicki, Toe Flop, Miki Mu, Tess Parker, Mr. Fou, El Cono, RatchiNYC, and AweOne.
This singular tower freshly painted by Fabio Pentani is impressive regardless of its location, but placed here in San Vito Lo Capo in Sicily, context means everything.
Painting for and participating in the SUA Project, the muralist and ecologist often combines natural plant life and compounds or derivatives of plants in his work. Here he has named Mannitol, a compound widely used in medicine, food, and industrial applications, along with Fraxinus excelsior (European Ash), which you will find applications for in timber, traditional medicine, and ecological preservation.
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening: 1. “1 Kilo – 3 Euros” by Ani Mrelashvili
2. Shahzia Sikander: Melting Boundaries
3. Heather Benjamin – “Mother All I Did Was Want To Kill But Just Look At What I Broke”
BSA Special Feature: “1 Kilo – 3 Euros” by Ani Mrelashvili
Today’s edition of BSA Film Friday trains the spotlight on three women. Two of them are artists talking about their work and one of them is an entrepreneur. The entrepreneur is a woman who wears many hats at once and keeps an immigrant community bonded. Immigration, immigrants, and migration are always on the news. Here in the USA, the big topic is the southern border with Mexico and the influx of immigrants, mostly from Central America, but also from Colombia and Venezuela as well as the regular number of Mexican Nationals who strive for a better future in a foreign land. In the film, Maka runs a parcel shop in Berlin that caters to a tight community of immigrants from Georgia, the country in the Caucasus region in Europe that was invaded and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1922 but re-gained independence in 1991 riding in the success of the 1980’s Independence Movement. This film is a reminder of the humanity of immigrants and their love for those they left behind. Maka’s big heart and affable disposition facilitate the bond that all these people have in common.
1 Kilo – 3 Euros by Ani Mrelashvili
Shahzia Sikander: Melting Boundaries / Art21 “Extended Play” by Andrea Chung.
For her exhibition at Bim Bam Gallery in Paris. The exhibition closes tomorrow, Saturday, May 20. Hurry!
Bim Bam Gallery 23 rue Béranger 75003 Paris
Heather Benjamin – “Mother All I Did Was Want To Kill But Just Look At What I Broke”
Continuity. That is a characteristic inherent in string art, usually because one associates the act of long rolls of string repeatedly wrapped around nail heads to create a piece. In the area of street art, there have been a few notable examples of artists using string to make new artworks in public space; the American HOTTEA, who is known for his large-scale installations of colorful strings as well as more human-sized typographic slogans on chain-link fences, Spidertag from Spain who began with yarns and nails and graduated to neon and fluorescent installations of geometric, often abstract designs on surfaces. Mademoiselle Maurice is known for string and origami elements in her installations, and Jane Echelman has displayed massive aerial sculptures of woven rope and fibers in public spaces. Although you may easily make that connection, we won’t go into yarn-bombing.
Today we’re talking about the unbroken threads of artist Perspicere and his new exhibition called ‘BARE THREAD’. He has a talent for conjuring ghost-like portraits on canvasses and on the street using a technique not known or mastered by many. Wound in complex and individual patterns, the people emerge upward and outward toward you, even though they are necessarily anchored.
Perspicere. Bare Thread. BSMT Space. London, UK. (image courtesy of the gallery)
Once relegated to the realms of DIY, or crafting, string art has also gained recognition and acceptance as a legitimate art form in contemporary art circles while artists have pushed the boundaries of the medium, experimenting with various materials, techniques, and concepts. Much like its brother graffiti, whether string art is considered “high art” or not largely depends on the individual and the context in which it is presented. Here at BSMT Space gallery in London, there is no question.
BARE THREAD is Perspicere’s second solo show at BSMT Space in London, who say the works are “Truly breath-taking and thought-provoking, ‘Bare Thread’ is an exhibition that deftly weaves together themes of vulnerability, courage, and the human condition.” In a recent posting on Instagram, the gallery says “These pieces need to be seen in person, the complexity of the interwoven thread is astounding!”
Perspicere. Bare Thread. BSMT Space. London, UK. (image courtesy of the gallery)From August 6, 2022, the artist writes with this video on Instagram “Action video of a recent piece down Leake Street. Brief action appearance of @allseeing.ra …. since this video my piece has been tagged, ripped AND set on fire!! Damn… these toys hate the string!!!..”A Photoshopped image of Perspicere’s work in the streets. (image courtesy of the gallery)
‘Bare Thread’ opens at London’s BSMT gallery with a private view on May 25th, with drinks generously provided by our good friends at Magic Spells Brewery. The show runs from May 26th to June 11th, 2022. For catalogue enquiries or to attend the opening night RSVP via hello@bsmt.co.uk.
The ever-clever minimalist ELFO strikes again on some crumbling building in Italy. He calls it “A new one from nowhere,” and possibly he is in agony. Or he is hoping to cause agony. Or is offering a commentary on the current state of the art on the streets?
“BEYOND THE STREETS & CONTROL Gallery are launching ‘Mister CARTOON’s ‘Just My Imagination,’ an exhibition showcasing many of the creative directions of the acclaimed artist and Los Angeles native. After a career that spans decades, Mister CARTOON has established himself as an artist with an admired and unique vision, bringing to mind his signature style of airbrushing, intricate drawings on diverse surfaces, and candy enamel automotive paint. The work is meticulous, ornate, full of swagger, and sweet nostalgia for the city he loves.
Mister Cartoon. Images courtesy of Beyond The Streets and Control Gallery. Click HERE for more information.
Born and raised, as they say, he began as a graffiti artist before venturing into murals, album covers, extraordinary tattoo work, and myriad logos. His artwork draws inspiration from the vibrant culture of Los Angeles, reflecting the emotions and experiences of growing up in this city during the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s. A solo show like this in Los Angeles is a milestone, following acclaimed shows across the globe in Tokyo, Paris, and London. Visitors encounter a body of work that collectively takes them into his mesmerizing fantasy world, the high gloss nostalgia, the fusion of car culture, graffiti, and tattoo – a haze of musical history accompanying his ride.
Mister CARTOON • Just My Imagination
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 10, 2023, 3pm-8pm BEYOND THE STREETS – CONTROL Gallery
434 N La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Hollywood On View: June 10 – July 15, 2023 • Wed-Sat 11am-6pm
French-Swiss artist Saype is continuing on his ambitious worldwide project, “Beyond Walls,” bringing it to Japan with an awe-inspiring display across multiple cities. From April 22nd to May 14th, 2023, four monumental landart paintings were painted by the artist in Okinawa, Nagasaki, Fuji, and Tokyo, forming the 17th step of this visionary endeavor.
Saype’s artworks, crafted with natural pigments derived from charcoal and chalk, are part of what he intends to be the largest human chain ever created. As the final witnesses of the 20th-century tragedies fade away, Saype endeavors here to become a spokesperson through the invitation of the United Voices movement, which aims to transmit a profound message of peace and solidarity to future generations. By symbolically painting intertwined hands traversing various locations, Saype would like to challenge the divisions of our world, urging us to embrace kindness, togetherness, and collective efforts beyond walls.
BEYOND WALLS NAGASAKI Ending the war, but at what cost? Nagasaki is both the epicenter of human madness and the incredible hope of the survivors of inhumanity. This mural, a transmission symbol, reminds us that memory is the best ally of peace.
BEYOND WALLS OKINAWA It is at the Okinawa Peace Memorial that Saype created his first Beyond Walls mural in Japan. A fragile and ephemeral work, just a few steps away from the graves of soldiers of all nationalities who fought on the only battlefield on Japanese territory. Although decades have passed since this battle, the archipelago remains of crucial strategic importance.
BEYOND WALLS FUJI It is undoubtedly the most iconic place in Japan. By marking this symbol of eternity with his ephemeral work, which sees humanity passing by its foot, Saype puts our place on Earth and our priorities into perspective.
BEYOND WALLS TOKYO It was unthinkable for Saype’s human chain not to pass through Tokyo. Here, tradition meets modernity in a cultural and human effervescence like no other. A megalopolis as serene as it is immense, Tokyo is writing history before our eyes, in the shadow of its past.
Welcome friends! Shout out to Joey, owner of the Village Works bookstore, whose new location opens this weekend on St Marks Place in Manhattan. Friday night the river of people flooded the banks in this pantheon to New York culture, history, and stylish bravado – and special guests Homesick were in the house to welcome the hundreds of excited streetwise Gen Z’ers to flip through and ponder these curious paper things that you cannot scroll through or zoom in with your fingers, but which are strangely satisfying and enriching non-the-less. If anyone wonders if Covid decimated New York, you have to witness the throngs of people walking, running, riding through a beery haze on the weekend at St. Marks, to know that this city is in full effect, bro.
We say ‘bro’ in the hood way, not the privileged apathetic way – although both are intermingling in the LES right about now with Brooks Brothers boys in camel suits huffing up the sidewalk while a muscled spandexed guy with a six-foot set of wings on his back weaves through the street. It’s not that NY is so liberal, it’s that we really don’t care what your look like or who you’re doing it with – let’s have fun and hang out.
The pumping music from the bars in this neighborhood reflects this moment, of course, with two Mexican pop hits blasting out to the streets in many locations – Grupo Frontera x Bad Bunny’s hit “Un x100to” and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Solo.” A fusion of corridos, banda, urban music, trap, and reggaeton? Porque no? The popularity reflects the influence Latino culture has had on the youth this spring while old white men are busy militarizing the southern border and treating regular people like criminals for seeking a better life.
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring: Dan Witz, Adam Fujita, Adam Fu, Winston Tseng, SacSix, Little Ricky, Roachi, Alicho Art, Chupa, Huetek, A Visual Bliss, Riisa Boogie, Ideal, Rezones, WEKUP, KIRSE, SMOR, Italo Causa, Georgia Violet, Jenna Leigh, and Never Satisfied.
Welcome to the first American celebration of graffiti studies.
The Tag Conference Brooklyn is set to be an impressive event, bringing together some of the most influential and pioneering voices in the field of graffiti studies. This groundbreaking event will take place on May 14th, 2023, in the heart of New York City. The conference focuses on the art of name-writing in public spaces and how it has evolved over time, with a particular emphasis on the history of American tagging.
The list of participants is impressive, including renowned scholars and storied professionals like Richard Goldstein, Joe Austin, Susan Phillips, and Carlo McCormick, as well as prominent graffiti artists with deep roots such as Steve ‘ESPO’ Powers, Alan Ket and Mr. Kaves. Events like this raise the consciousness and further establish the role of the mark-makers in shaping activism and influencing art – with positive and negative effects both fairly examined and interrogated. The conference also showcases the work of independent researchers and rogue archivists, providing a platform for their invaluable contributions to the field of graffiti studies.
The Tag Conference Brooklyn is an INVITATION-ONLY installment of the Tag Conference with a focus on contemporary tagging. Click HERE to read about the full program.
As graffiti continues to gain importance in both scholarship and institutional academia, the Tag Conference Brooklyn is a rather enthralling opportunity to explore this unsung art form and its impact on contemporary culture. With its focus on the history and evolution of tagging in New York City, this conference promises to be a landmark event, bringing together key voices from around the world for the first time in the United States.
The Tag Conference Brooklyn is an invitation-only installment of the Tag Conference with a focus on contemporary tagging.
THE TAG CONFERENCE BROOKLYN
NAME WRITING IN PUBLIC SPACE
14 MAY 2023 NEW YORK CITY
RICHARD GOLDSTEIN, JOE AUSTIN, BILL DANIEL, CARLO MCCORMICK, SUSAN PHILLIPS, STEVE ‘ESPO’ POWERS, GREGORY SNYDER, FRANÇOIS CHASTANET, CHRISTIAN ACKER, ALAN KET, LACHLAN MACDOWALL, MR. KAVES, TOMMY REBEL, JAVIER ABARCA, EDWARD BIRZIN
“Where does American tagging come from, and how has it evolved? What special chapters in its history took place in New York City? How does tagging play with space, and how do artists play with tags?
The Tag Conference Brooklyn gathers an unprecedented lineup of speakers, including some of the key voices in American graffiti studies both underground and institutional, plus some special guests from Europe and Australia to discuss the unsung artform of tagging in the city that made it what it is today.”
‘THE TAG CONFERENCE BROOKLYN’
While the working field of graffiti studies is taking shape in Europe, its most veteran and fundamental voices hail from the U.S.A.
Industry City 33 35th St, Building 5 Brooklyn, New York No entry fee
Directors: Edward Birzin (US), Javier Abarca (ES). Chair: Susan Hansen (AU).
The Tag Conference is produced by the Unlock Book Fair team. The Tag Conference Brooklyn is an INVITATION-ONLY installment of the Tag Conference.
A full-format Tag Conference with an open call for papers is scheduled for June 29th to July 1st 2023 at the Museum for Hamburg History in Hamburg, Germany.
Elfo is a graffiti writer and social commentator whose work intentionally sidesteps traditional notions of style or technical lettering. This …Read More »
In her latest mural, Faring Purth delivers a powerful reflection on connection, continuity, and the complexity of evolving relationships—a true …Read More »
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BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
