This week, we found ourselves amidst the vibrant energy of Los Angeles, uncovering hidden gems and reconnecting with old friends. One highlight was a visit to Roger Gastman’s dynamic ‘Beyond the Streets’ gallery, which celebrated its first year with a captivating show featuring Tim Conlon, HuskMitNavn, and Pose. A thrilling moment was when we had the privilege of moderating a panel that featured the artistic brilliance of Layer Cake’s duo – Patrick Hartl and Christian Hundertmark (C100), the iconic Chaz Bojórquez, recognized as the godfather of graffiti and the epitome of California Chicano artistry, and our host, the ever-passionate artist and activist, Shepard Fairey. The venue buzzed with artists and connoisseurs, each directly or deeply ingrained in the world of art in the streets. And as LA’s streets echoed with the spirit of Mexican Independence Day, the youthful beats of Mexican music star Peso Pluma serenaded us from passing cars. Truly, a week to remember.
Here is our weekly interview with the street: this week featuring Shepard Fairey, Vhils, Invader, Keith Haring, Nychos, El Mac, Add Fuel, Praxis, Hueman, Estevan Oriol, Hijack, Tempt, David Howler, Loks Angeles, Kook, Madre, and Downtown Daniel.
A great project has just emerged from the collaboration between Urban Nation Museum and the dynamic Berlin-based street art duo Various and Gould. This new addition to the ONE WALL series has been expertly curated by Michelle C. Houston, with valuable production support from YAP. The project bears the name ‘We all belong to this community’ (Wir alle hier gehören zum Wir). At a time when xenophobia has been on the rise in many Western societies, public art has taken on a crucial role in educating and reconnecting people and communities.
What makes this project in the Berlin-Spandau district truly captivating is its engagement with local kids at a youth center through an inspiring art workshop. During this workshop, the artists introduced their mural concept and collaborated with the young participants to create captivating collages and individual portrait photos. The mural is an eclectic collage sketch that beautifully incorporates elements from the participants’ faces, effectively symbolizing a collective identity for the neighborhood.
The artists behind this remarkable piece tell us, ‘Our mural is based on a collage from our ongoing Face Time series, which we initiated back in 2015 to celebrate human diversity and question conventional beauty standards.’ Throughout the mural’s creation, the artists meticulously inscribed numerous first names on the wall, including those of workshop participants and other individuals they encountered in the neighborhood. Remarkably, the project seemed to tap into the live pulse of community sentiment as kids and adults gathered on the sidewalk below, joyfully shouting out their names to be included in the mural. A local legend named Moha even stepped in to lend a helping hand by sending lists of names up to the artists’ phones.
As Various notes, ‘When you paint a mural, it’s an exhilarating journey where every day and hour counts, and you must transform your sketch into a grand-scale masterpiece.’ It’s a process that demands intense concentration, all while under the watchful eyes of local residents. Gould adds, ‘Our playful approach might make it seem effortless, but each step of the way is filled with intensity.’ This is evident in instances such as when they found themselves stuck in a lift – and during the tumultuous, rainy hours when painting was challenging.
In essence, this mural project not only showcases the remarkable creative talents of the artists but also underscores the significance of community and diversity in the face of pressing societal issues like racism and exclusion. Their manner and message both serve as powerful reminders of the need for every member of society to feel valued and included.
Various and Gould would like to express their gratitude and extend a heartfelt shout-out to Luis Limberg for his daily production assistance and offer many thanks to their fellow artist friend, Tavar Zawacki, who joined them for a day on the cherry picker, contributing to the project’s success. Our special thanks to Sebastian Kläbsch, Luis Limberg, and @MOHA for sharing their photographs with BSA readers.
This week we see a few new walls in New York mixed with images from Stavanger and Utsira, Norway that we caught a few weeks ago. Speaking of Stavanger, last night we had a Nuart reunion of sorts in New York as we saw the first solo exhibition of Norwegian Martin Whatson here at Harman Projects, and it was good to see the artist and many beautiful people from this scene that we love so much.
Here is our regular interview with the street: this week featuring 1Up Crew, Martin Whatson, Helen Bur, Carrie Reichardt, M-City, Ardif, XSM, JPO Art, the J0N, Never Satisfied, StayOne, SynSynerSynet, HOPES, SHIE, Ban Box, Dr. AW, John Fekner, and La Staa.
Lapiz is the Hamburg-based street artist whose practice involves handmade stencils to convey his message to the public. He places them in many cities around Germany and internationally and he says he has finally found a way to convey something that has been on his mind since China hosted the Winter Olympics Games in 2022. He says he has a preoccupation with being a part of a team in collaboration with other teams where something big and vital is created. This has brought him to expand on a popular sports slogan in Germany: “Dabei sein ist alles,” or “it is more important to take part in something big than anything else.”
For his participation in this year’s edition of Ibug 2023 in Leipzig, Germany, he decided to use the slogan as the genesis for his contribution by way of illustrating with his stencils the meaning of the slogan.
“Coincidentally, Leipzig is very fitting, as the world’s most important chip company, Taiwan’s TSMC, is building a factory in Dresden (about an hour’s drive from Leipzig). It is heavily supported by the state of Germany (contributing up to 5 billion Euros). This is also interesting as Germany, just like the majority of the world, still does not recognize Taiwan as an independent state but plays into China’s interpretation of it being a separatist province,” says Lapiz.
“The central motif is China’s supreme leader Xi Jinping holding shackles; attached to his left are Tibet, the Uighurs, and most recently, Hong Kong. To his right, a shackle lies on the floor, waiting to catch the next “member”: Taiwan, which is depicted in the person of Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen.”
Lapiz says that he painted a second piece for the festival called “Liberté” (Freedom). According to the artist, freedom is one of the most pressing social and humanitarian issues currently occupying people’s minds on the world stage. He previously painted the female figure holding a brush with the word Liberté in Paris in 2017 in response to the attack on the Bataclan Theater, and in support of the victims and the survivors. So Liberté appears as a recurring theme for the street artist.
“More than a year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine, which since then has fought for its freedom. For months, the people of Iran have been fighting in a new revolution for the rights and lives of Iranian women. Everywhere in the world, there is still much to do to get equal rights for all genders.” Lapiz
A masterful curatorial vision lies in this collaborative endeavor that unites two generations of Stavanger artists in creating a dynamic canvas in public space – while the newest generation of onlookers engages in the joyful spectacle of football nearby and around them. The convergence of these two artists, separated by a half-century, in creating something novel is a rare, unique offering at the Nice Surprise Festival.
An internationally celebrated octogenarian whose art graces the walls of countless homes countrywide in Norway harmoniously joins forces with a contemporary graffiti virtuoso renowned for adorning the city’s walls and represented by prestigious galleries in Oslo and Stavanger. Amidst their shared geographic and societal influences, one may instinctively seek a common thread, a thread that unravels the aesthetic DNA of a city.
In this second installment of our coverage of this remarkable collaboration for the Nice Surprise Festival, we see the completed work resonating with the distinct voices of each artist echoing. “I’m used to larger formats,” Mr. Pahr-Iversen says as he brings his distinctive strokes to these white walls in kinderland. “And when they asked me to participate, I considered that an honor.”
“Well, I was a little bit nervous,” says Atle regarding his trepidation to ask the famed painter to work on the street with him. “But he was positive right away,”
BSA:Do you know anything about graffiti? Mr. Pahr-Iversen: No, I don’t. Never. I come from the other side. BSA: You come from the perspective of the formal Academy of Arts? Mr. Pahr-Iversen:Yes, sure. BSA:But you were supportive of the project from the onset? Mr. Pahr-Iversen: Let’s say I like the man, and I like the idea. This has a humanistic element to it. There is an impetus to make things beautiful or to make things right. There is something here that combines elements of religion, art history, and normal human behavior at its best. I’ve painted on concrete before – I went to the Royal Academy in Copenhagen, and of course, I have lived in Paris…
The two work separately while they are together, the air punctuated excitedly with the screams and yells of primary school children who try not to kick the ball into them. But the noise does not appear to bother either of the studio artists, despite being more accustomed to the quiet solitude of a studio.
An unusual meeting of styles, these three panels may remind some of the enormous graffiti jams that are launched in cities throughout the world every year. Since Østrem ran his own graffiti supply store here for several years and sponsored many events related to it, he is arguably one of the most knowledgeable about graffiti culture and history in the city.
The father of a young son himself, Østrem says that this schoolyard environment is not entirely unusual for him.
BSA:How do you like painting here while students are playing all around you? Atle: It’s nice. They’re very honest critics. One boy talked to me about the painting for 10 minutes, likening it to Minecraft. Another one was saying, “I see some animals here.” And so we get a lot of comments.
A consummate professional with years of finely tuned patience, Pahr-Iversen says this is a genuinely new experience. Still, his training and world traveling and exhibiting have prepared him for almost anything. For the moment, he concentrates on his own brand of abstract expressionism, perhaps in love with the first years when we are all exposed to color, shape, geometric shapes, patterns, and creative play.
“I also like the triptych and the image of an icon because it creates a focal point for the viewer,” he says. “For me, it is also a meditation.”
Welcome to BSA Images of the Week! It’s our Labor Day weekend special for you this week featuring some fresh old school styles popping up again in a bid for capturing your nostalgic feelings for early graffiti and hip hop. And of course, we have some of the new stuff as well. Keep keeping it real and F-R-E-S-H!
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring: NohJColey, Modomatic, Tomokazu Matsuyama, IMK, WRDSMTH, Ottograph, POEM, The Postman, Nandos Art, Atelier Jolie, Fat Cap Sprays, Fuck with Love, Ester, 1984.YO, and Mattaya Fitts.
Steve and Jaime from BSA are proud to be repping Berlin’s Urban Nation Museum next month in Los Angeles in the company of the great German artist duo Layer Cake for the 4th iteration of their collaborative art project.
Please join us with artists Shepard Fairey and Chaz Bojórquez as we welcome Layer Cake to Shepards’ Subliminal Projects!
See the full Press Release below and if you are in LA on the 16th, we can’t wait to meet you. It will be a fantastic show and a very special night..
Punk Rock Politics, an Arctic fox, a Circumpolar Biome…
New York, a city that never sleeps, truly comes alive in the summer with an influx of international street artists and graffiti writers adorning its walls with fresh ideas and paint. Among them, Vegan Flava, a Swedish artist of global repute, seized his inaugural trip to unveil his unique approach—a synthesis of activism, urban aesthetics, and environmental consciousness. Over the past three decades, his artistic journey has been a contemplative exploration of art’s societal role, driven by his unwavering commitment to illuminate both local and global environmental and social issues. Woven through the fabric of hardcore punk music, veganism, environmentalism, graffiti, and urban art, Vegan Flava’s oeuvre emerges as a profound dialogue on societal complexities, hoping to stimulate your contemplation as well.
Vegan Flava’s artistic themes crystallize with clarity. He perceives his art as a mirror reflecting society’s nuances. He advocates for a shift in environmental awareness—a transformation that goes beyond human-centric perspectives to embrace a broader ecological responsibility. With an astute focus on the interconnectedness of all life forms, he delves into the intricate relationships between species and ecosystems. During a sweltering summer sojourn to New York, we had the privilege to engage with Vegan Flava, learning about his perspective on the natural world’s interwoven tapestry, our place within it, and the reverberating impact of even a solitary species’ disappearance.
BSA: Tell us a little about yourself, where you live, how long you have been an artist on the streets, other information you would like to share.
VF: I live in Stockholm between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. I’ve been an artist ever since I could hold a pencil. I discovered graffiti when I was 11 years old in 1989. I sprayed my first wall two years later. I painted graffiti during the 90’s, which evolved into urban art after the millennia. I’ve attended several art schools and graduated with a Master’s in fine art in 2005.
BSA: How did you conceive of being Vegan Flava, and what does it mean to you to adopt this moniker?
VF: It’s something that’s been interesting to explore. My alias Vegan Flava, has been a long-time art project where I’ve looked into how art can reflect society and influence it through urban art. I took this alias 25 years ago, and I was confronting the human-centric world with it.
I’ve noticed along the way that my alias sometimes affects people’s ability to appreciate my art. Art is a wide and open space for complex ideas, and what I’ve experienced is that my alias can be a narrow door that tends to close instead of opening into the broad thoughts, ideas, and topics my art explores. At the moment, I’m considering how my work would be affected if I start using my real name moving forward.
In the early 90s, the day after being at my first hardcore punk concert in the neighboring town of Vänersborg, Sweden, my friends and I formed our city’s first hardcore band. Beginning in 1993, I was active in the hardcore punk music movement, which brought my attention to many social issues. There were songs about how animals were treated in the meat and dairy industry, and at the merch tables at the concerts, info was spread through zines, pamphlets, and books.
The songs questioned human dominance, but it wasn’t until 1998 that I switched to a plant-based diet, and I started to write ‘Vegan’ in my graffiti. Later, I added the word ‘Flava’ to my street alias. In the hardcore scene, I learned that music and art can be used to reflect, change, and build society and not merely be experienced for pleasure. I was greatly affected by the visual language on all printed matter, such as concert posters, band t-shirts, CD covers, and booklets. Parallel to this, I was deeply into skateboarding and graffiti, which all had connections and were different forms of youth-oriented DIY culture with strong visual aesthetics.
BSA: Your earlier work often featured skeletal remains and dark imagery. Has that changed for you, and if so, how?
VF: Yes, I moved on from it a few years ago. I’ve been working on topics from nature around my hometown, animals, and flowers from the Swedish Arctic. A few years ago, I became interested in how much Swedes know about how the climate crisis affects Sweden. So, I focused even more on exploring local topics.
The Baltic harbor’s porpoise is critically endangered and is the only whale species living in the Baltic Sea. I’ve painted it in several artworks as a symbol for the critical state of the Baltic Sea, which has the largest dead sea floor area on the planet.
In February this year, my solo exhibition had the title Tears Of The Cryosphere and explored the many effects of the loss of water in frozen form. The cryosphere is basically the planet’s cooling system and is deeply part of Swedish identity. I’ve done several land-art pieces on snow-covered frozen lakes with large poems and motifs of endangered animals.
In paste-ups primarily in European cities, but now also in New York, and in murals and studio work, I’m looking into the movements of nature. As the climate warms, plants and animals in the biosphere must adapt to the new environmental conditions – or emigrate if they can. This is also the reality for many humans.
BSA: Is this the first time you have painted in New York? Can you describe what the experience was like for you?
VF: Yes, and I enjoyed every moment of it. It’s been a long-time dream to travel to the US, and I finally made it. My main goal was, of course, to paint a mural, and thanks to East Village Walls, I got the opportunity to paint a small mural in Manhattan. I was happy to meet people from the community and the many photographers who came by my wall and artists and curators from the NY urban art scene during my stay. The city’s art ecosystem was hard to enter, but I really loved New York, and I’m hoping to get an opportunity to go back soon.
BSA: Can you speak about the arctic fox in this image and its connection to Finnish or Swedish culture and ecology?
VF: The mural’s title is ”Rooted above the taiga,” and it depicts an arctic fox that lives far north above the tree line in the arctic tundra. Taiga is a circumpolar biome, an enormous pine and fir forest belt stretching through Russia, Alaska, Canada, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
Due to the warming climate, the nature of the tundra is changing and decreasing. I’m painting the Arctic fox as a representative of this biome. It is not a threatened species in North America, but it was hunted to extinction in Finland, and in Sweden, it is listed as critically endangered.
In Sweden, the winter season is shorter, and it often rains in places where it used to snow. Winter trails that used to cross through frozen lakes can now be too weak. It changes the living circumstances of animals, plants, and humans. I’m concerned about the effects of the changing cryosphere, with melting permafrost and glaciers and the decreasing lake and sea ice.
In my art, I’m exploring topics and raising questions about species loss and changing planetary systems. Many species risk extinction before we even get to know them, such as the unique Baltic Harbour porpoise. I often face the question of what happens when some species disappear. Is it really a problem? What benefits do we lose when they are extinct? A species is often linked to several other species, so losing one affects others. We might not see what is already evident for other species. If the entire biomes of the tundra, the taiga, and the cryosphere could ask us, what is your reason for being? How would you answer that question?
BSA: Artists have myriad roles in society. How do you see your role as an artist who works on the street and whose paintings remain there long after you have finished?
VF: I’m interested in creating my art in dialog with the surroundings and in places that are not always necessarily designated spaces for art. Places where art can be intertwined with daily life and can be discovered in a spontaneous way. The art experience becomes a natural and simple part of the day instead of an active, planned, and conscious choice for a few. I also see public art as a language that expresses something non-commercial and can be a parallel dialog about something else. During my whole life, art of all sorts has challenged and inspired me to evolve as a person, and that’s what I hope my art can be a part of for others.
In Ukraine, Russia has bombed theaters and art schools and ruined public art and artworks. The Kyiv Soloists string ensemble was in Italy when their nation was invaded, and they decided to stay on tour to let the world hear Ukrainian music. Art collectives in Kyiv started producing bulletproof vests in their workshops, and Ukrainian poets and artists were voices of their culture in news channels worldwide. What this clearly shows is that art is producing identity; it is a home.
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring: De Grupo, JPS, The Postman, Savior El Mundo, DrscØ, Hektad, Buttsup, MCA, Fumeroism, Ottograph, and Lysefjorden.
Dourone, the dynamic artistic partnership of Fabio Lopez Gonzalo and Élodie Arshak, presents “The World of Tomorrow” on the Ivory Coast.
DOURONE. “The World Of Tomorrow”. Pyramid of Abidjan. Ivory Coast. (photo courtesy of DourOne)
Originating from Madrid, Spain, Fabio Lopez Gonzalo, known as Dourone, began his journey in the late 90s, deeply rooted in the urban art scene. His interests span film, television, advertising, and fashion photography.
In 2012, Fabio joined forces with Élodie Arshak, leading to a formidable international muralist duo. Their evocative works adorn walls in 21 countries and 64 cities, totaling an impressive 104 large-scale murals. Their creations now appear in galleries and on walls in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Los Angeles, and Dubai.
DOURONE. “The World Of Tomorrow”. Pyramid of Abidjan. Ivory Coast. (photo courtesy of DourOne)
Dourone’s art seamlessly blends sentiment and thought, drawing inspiration from the term “Sentipensante” coined by Puerto Rican educator and philosopher Gloria E. Anzaldúa. The term marries two Spanish words: “sentir,” meaning “to feel,” and “pensante,” meaning “thinking” or “thoughtful.” When viewed holistically, their imagery unfolds as a visual narrative that interprets humanity’s adaptation to an ever-changing world.
“The World of Tomorrow” now emerges on the Pyramid of Abidjan, an iconic architectural marvel of brutalist design in the Ivory Coast. Soaring to an impressive height of 64 meters, this mural, is brought to life with 63 hues using only brushes, materialized over a span of 10 days. The vibrant portrayal of a young girl embodies the essence of an ever-evolving Africa, where the present and future coalesce, exuding strength and determination.
DOURONE. “The World Of Tomorrow”. Pyramid of Abidjan. Ivory Coast. (photo courtesy of DourOne)DOURONE. “The World Of Tomorrow”. Pyramid of Abidjan. Ivory Coast. (photo courtesy of DourOne)DOURONE. “The World Of Tomorrow”. Pyramid of Abidjan. Ivory Coast. (photo courtesy of DourOne)DOURONE. “The World Of Tomorrow”. Pyramid of Abidjan. Ivory Coast. (photo courtesy of DourOne)DOURONE. “The World Of Tomorrow”. Pyramid of Abidjan. Ivory Coast. (photo courtesy of DourOne)
Having delved into the very heart of the beast, one might gain insight into the monster’s psyche—such is the impression conveyed by street artist SEBS.
For a decade or so, SEBS has adorned abandoned lots and decaying edifices, primarily across his native Portugal, with these paradoxically new/retro “ads.” Nestled within each product lies an astute critique of the advertising industry’s unflinching resolve to peddle wares indiscriminately, often disregarding their impact on individuals. The artist portrays a landscape where the allure of fresh terminology and technological novelty becomes, in the industry’s eyes, justification enough to champion and endorse anything, irrespective of its potential consequences.
“Are we just guinea pigs?” SEBS asks us in a recent email. At what point do these outlandish goods and services cross over into actual ones, and will we still find them outlandish?
The street artist SEBS softens the blow in a low-key, handmade way that comforts and reveals. He slices through glitzy promises and hollow catchphrases, revealing a relentless pursuit of profit that may cast aside ethical considerations. With a brush dipped in irony, he paints the industry’s audacious willingness to market anything, regardless of its impact on individuals and society. The advertising machine, he suggests, is all too eager to latch onto the latest buzzwords and technological novelties, treating them as a panacea that justifies the promotion of any idea or product.
“We live in the new age of technology. Technology is already part of our daily life,” he says.
“Tech kings selling us dreams with secrets behind the magic. We, the people, are impressed by the illusions of a world in constant adaptation.”
SEBS describes these new installations that he says are united by the technology theme. “One is about implanting chips in the skull, and the other is about how we can all become talented ‘singers’ through artificial intelligence,” he says
Back in dirty old Brooklyn from squeaky clean Norway, nothing has changed, and everything has changed. The Pokémon GO Fest is bringing 70,000 players to Randalls Island and elsewhere in the city, city government is banning TikTok from all official devices, and stabbings are up by 26% so Stay on your A-game out there people. The city is still beckoning you to Summer Streets, and we do too because wherever you go in New York, there is always a show, and sometimes you are it.
We lead the images this week with street artist Nimi’s poetic interpretation in Stavanger of Norway’s famous cliff Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock. There are not sufficient words to describe certain examples of natural beauty, so it is more fitting that a street artist address it – in this case possibly creating a parallel between its scale and the depth of love the artist has for his family. According to online accounts, the subject is his daughter Sophia.
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring: Praxis VGZ, BK Foxx, Snik, Calicho Art, Sonny Sundancer, Nite Owl, NIMI, Pinky, Heal Hop, and Silvia Marcon.
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 »
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
