Canemorto, the enigmatic three-headed creative beast from Italy, is making its long-awaited debut in New York this week with Fish Market, a performance and exhibition that blends their rebellious spirit with conceptual flair and humor. Known for their seamless collaboration and shared anonymity, this trio defies traditional artistic boundaries, evolving from their roots in skateboarding and graffiti into a multi-disciplinary force. Despite meeting in high school over fifteen years ago, their bond has only strengthened, allowing them to create with a rare synchronicity that blurs the lines between the individual and the collective.
Hailing from the industrial landscapes of Northern Italy, Canemorto’s rise began in the streets, where they became infamous for their unconventional “roller pieces” spread across European cities. These monumental, messy, and often illegal works challenged the status quo of urban art—causing periodic rejection from both graffiti writers and street artists.
Not that they mind. They didn’t want to be pinned down anyway. Canemorto continuously innovates, whether by serving pizzas shaped like dog heads, recording a vinyl rap single with FAME Festival impresario Angelo Milano, or exhibiting their “radio-controlled paintings” at Palazzo Vizzani in Bologna. They channel their raw, gritty street energy and sharp instincts into formal shows and unexpected performance art, all with a signature irreverence. The anonymity protects their creative freedom, allowing them to challenge consumerism, authority, and the art world itself without fear of compromising the ideals that fuel their work.
Canemorto Fish Market. Gratin Gallery. NYC. (photo from the original exhibition in Milan courtesy of the artists)
With Fish Market, Canemorto brings this ethos to life in New York. Visitors will experience their work in a fish shop setting, where drawings are served as “fried” or “filleted” pieces, offering a critique of art as a commodity while engaging audiences with humor and unexpected theatricality. It’s a rare opportunity to see them live, a fleeting chance to witness a trio that has built a covert yet undeniable presence in the contemporary art scene, always on Canemorto’s terms.
Show Information:
Thursday, October 10: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM (grand opening)
Friday, October 11: 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturday, October 12: 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, with a final “fish auction” at 7:00 PM
Location: Gratin NYC, 76 Avenue B, New York, NY
Canemorto Fish Market. Gratin Gallery. NYC. (photo from the original exhibition in Milan courtesy of the artists)Canemorto Fish Market. Gratin Gallery. NYC. (photo from the original exhibition in Milan courtesy of the artists)Canemorto Fish Market. Gratin Gallery. NYC. (photo from the original exhibition in Milan courtesy of the artists)Canemorto Fish Market. Gratin Gallery. NYC. (photo from the original exhibition in Milan courtesy of the artists)
Who’s in town this week? New York is no stranger to visiting street artists, but the thrill never fades. Right now, we’ve got Kiwi sensation Owen Dippie here to blow minds with his latest piece, plus the wild Italian trio Canemorto. These graffiti-street artist-fishermen from Brianza, up North of Milan, are kicking off a three-day performance at Matta. Come by to see what is the catch of the day, and they might be speaking their own brand of “Canemortish”. The three-day event will be fresh Thursday through Saturday – let’s see what they’ve reeled in for you!
Shout out to the Brooklyn Museum, which hosted hundreds of guests at the gala opening of a new show featuring 200+ Brooklyn artists Friday night. A celebration of the museum’s bicentennial, the collection gives a stunning overview, a diverse array, and an appreciative stage for many artists working here today. The Brooklyn Artists Exhibitionis organized by Jeffrey Gibson, Vik Muniz, Mickalene Thomas, and Fred Tomaselli and coordinated by Sharon Matt Atkins, Deputy Director for Art. If you can’t get to NYC, take a virtual tour of the exhibition.
Also congratulations to Museum of Graffitti for their first show in Shanghai. Co-founders Allison Freidin and Brooklyn native Alan Ket have mounted MOG’s very first exhibition on mainland China, “Street Echos”, right in the heart of the Changning District of Shanghai. A year in the making, the show combines an explanation of graffiti’s humble roots with the current status of the art form.
And here we go boldly into the streets of New York to find new stuff from: Jeremy Deller, Joe Iurato, Veng RWK, Jason Naylor, Stikki Peaches, Muebon, CP Won, Never Satisfied, Mena Ceresa, and Brozilla.
We are skillful in avoiding discussing the elephant in the room: our relationship with the Earth and its natural elements, which are negatively impacted by our actions. This is perhaps the biggest issue that polluting industries and war-makers try to ignore, even as they steal the future from all of our children.
Swiss duo Nevercrew masterfully depicts this metaphor in their mural “Switch,” created in Wuppertal, Germany, for the Urbaner Kunstraum and curated by WupperOne929 and Valentina Maoilov. While their description of the work may seem deliberately vague, a closer examination reveals a call to reflect on pressing issues.
The mural appears to explore themes of perspective, change, and awareness. The glass-domed shape suggests the passage of time, symbolizing urgency and the continuous flow between different states, such as the past, present, and future. The floating elephant with its trunk above water might represent a struggle for survival or the need to adapt to changing circumstances. Elephants are often symbols of wisdom and memory. In this context, the mural may illustrate a clash between the natural world and human-made environments, represented by the quaint town of modern consumers below.
Ultimately, the artwork seems to confront us with realities we often keep at a distance—urgent issues that demand our attention. It invites viewers to “switch” their perspectives and become more aware of the interconnections between nature, human actions, and the passage of time.
No one is discussing the elephant in the room: our relationship with the Earth and its natural elements, which are negatively impacted by our actions. This is perhaps the biggest issue that polluting industries try to ignore, even as they steal the future from our children.
Swiss duo Nevercrew masterfully depicts this metaphor in their mural “Switch,” created in Wuppertal, Germany, for the Urbaner Kunstraum and curated by WupperOne929 and Valentina Maoilov. While their description of the work may seem deliberately vague, a closer examination reveals a call to reflect on pressing issues.
No one is discussing the elephant in the room: our relationship with the Earth and its natural elements, which are negatively impacted by our actions. This is perhaps the biggest issue that polluting industries try to ignore, even as they steal the future from our children.
Swiss duo Nevercrew masterfully depicts this metaphor in their mural “Switch,” created in Wuppertal, Germany, for the Urbaner Kunstraum and curated by WupperOne929 and Valentina Maoilov. While their description of the work may seem deliberately vague, a closer examination reveals a call to reflect on pressing issues.
Parees Festival Brings Asturias’ Past and Future to Life
In its seventh year, the Parees Festival continues to enrich Oviedo’s urban landscape, adding three new murals and bringing its collection to a remarkable total of forty works. Local, national, and international artists have left their mark on the city through this contextual muralism festival, each piece echoing the rich cultural fabric of Asturias. Organized by the Oviedo Municipal Foundation of Culture, Parees stands out as one of the few mural festivals that authentically reflects the city’s community, history, and environment—almost as if the walls are narrating the soul of Oviedo.
This year’s festival underscores its commitment to Asturian identity by paying tribute to regional symbols such as Faro pottery, the iconic wooden clog (madreña), and the apple, deeply ingrained in local tradition. Through a careful process of artistic mediation led by the festival’s curators and the involvement of the Asturian community, Parees has once again created art that dialogues with its surroundings. As festival director Eduard Crespo puts it, “Parees is not just an encounter with urban art; it is a celebration of our roots, a window to the past, and a projection toward the future of Asturias. This is the true essence of the festival: dialogue, reflection, and the shared celebration of our identity.”
What sets the Parees Festival apart is its commitment to creating “contextualized murals” that go beyond decoration. Every mural results from a collaborative process involving the community, artists, and artistic mediators like the Raposu Roxu team. This participatory model allows murals to be authentic expressions of the local environment, giving residents a voice and capturing the region’s unique characteristics. With its focus on quality over quantity, Parees invests in each work’s durability and cultural significance, ensuring that each wall becomes a lasting visual conversation piece.
The festival extends this sense of dialogue and reflection beyond the walls, inviting residents and visitors to explore the murals through sustainable mobility initiatives like bicycle routes. In this way, Parees adds layers to Oviedo’s streetscape and encourages a thoughtful, environmentally friendly exploration of urban art.
Mapecoo: Reflection on the Future of the Asturian Apple María Peña, known artistically as Mapecoo, brings attention to the uncertain future of Asturias’ emblematic apple, particularly those with a Denomination of Origin. In her mural, Peña visually contrasts traditional apple cultivation with elements of the digital age, possibly addressing the tension between preserving this essential regional crop and the fast-changing world around it. A vibrant palette and cultural symbolism; is it a tribute or a call to action?
Marat Morik: The Legacy of Faro Marat ‘Morik’ Danilyan, an artist recognized for his dynamic compositions and reflections on cultural heritage, immortalizes the centuries-old pottery tradition of Faro in his mural on Luis Álvarez Fueyo Street. The artwork captures the essence of this ancient craft, urging passersby to acknowledge, celebrate, and hopefully preserve the deep cultural legacy that Faro pottery represents for Asturias.
Marat Morik: Tribute to the Asturian Madreña On the same street, Morik pays homage to the madreña—a symbol of Asturian craftsmanship and heritage. Through this mural, he is preserving memories of the madreñera trade while sparking a reflection on the importance of sustaining traditional skills in the face of generational change. The piece resonates with Morik’s signature style, blending realism and not so subtle social commentary.
Street art duo Faile is reshaping the scene, “designing for a new world” in New York this week with their latest venture. Known for their early days of illegal street art in Brooklyn two decades ago, Faile now takes a bold step forward through their partnership with Herman Miller. The collaboration results are nothing short of innovative, distinctive, and wildly imaginative – the kind of creativity we’ve come to expect from these guys, who continue to make the path by walking. Patrick and Patrick have never shied away from taking risks in exploring new techniques of image combination and manipulation. Congratulations to them and their team for yet another remarkable leap!
New York never stops, even when hosting its most high-profile guests. Just this past Friday, a defiant Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN, practically declaring war on the world, while Mayor Eric Adams stood in court, pleading “Not guilty, your Honor,” to charges of bribery and wire fraud tied to alleged foreign donations for official favors. Meanwhile, former President Trump met with Ukrainian President Zelensky to discuss the ongoing war with Russia—and likely debated how much more US taxpayers should contribute instead of addressing pressing issues at home like housing for the homeless or universal Medicare for All.
Amid all this, the city’s pulse is changing with the season. The leaves are turning stunning shades of yellow, orange, and red, and the streets are alive with vibrant murals, graffiti, and street art—both legal and not. New York’s energy is palpable this week, and we’re thrilled to welcome visitors from around the world while showcasing the street works from sister cities like Brooklyn and Berlin.
And here we go boldly into the streets of New York and Berlin this week with new extramural stuff from: Queen Andrea, Modomatic, Millo, Dulk, Par, Caro Pepe, Devita, Never Satisfied, JT, Mondo Crew, Mr. Super A, and Carlos Alberto.
“Evasiones”: B-Murals and Indague reveal the most unknown and reflective side of graffiti and urban art.
EVASIONES. THE STREET AS FICTION
B-Murals and INDAGUE present “Evasiones. The Street as Fiction,” an exhibition that explores the lesser-known, reflective side of graffiti and urban art. Running from September 28th to November 23rd, the show invites visitors to pause and consider how urban art interacts with public spaces, transcending the confines of traditional exhibitions. The exhibition is free to the public, and the opening event will include a live performance by musician Enric Ponsa.
The show features renowned artists like Sebas Velasco, Ampparito & Irene Luna, Les Frères Ripoulain, Vandals On Holidays, Maz & Riaq Miuq, FMF, Jean Philippe Illanes, Yoni, and Sonja Ben. Each artist brings a unique perspective, from Les Frères Ripoulain’s critical exploration of graffiti in media to FMF’s fusion of illustration and ceramics through industrial recycling.
Sebas Velasco (b. 1988), continues his hunt for fragile brutalism that only rears its head in the margins of urban life. A multidisciplinarian, Velasco brings tenderness where you won’t expect to see it and may very well overlook it. With a blend of photography, video, and painting, he lays bare the blunt instruments of life, the destruction we’ve wrought, insisting there is something redeeming, poetic even. Like many of the brave artists and thinkers in this showcase, his work is reblending categories, street and gallery, personal and political.
From the press release: “The show is aimed at both scholars and researchers in the art world and anyone interested in discovering the most human, unknown, and reflective aspects of grati and urban art. The opening will take place on September 28th from 6 pm to 9 pm. Admission is free, and some of the artists featured in the exhibition will be attending, along with a live performance by musician Enric Ponsa. The exhibition will be open until November 23rd and parallel activities will be organized for all audiences.”
“Opening Horizons”whose size can only be fully appreciated from the sky, unveiled in a spectacular way.
In Villablino, Spain, renowned artist Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada unveiled Opening Horizons, a monumental land art piece that portrays an athlete in a wheelchair. Created for the Caminos Naturales initiative, in partnership with the Villablino City Council, the artwork spans a vast terrain and is best appreciated from above. Its unveiling coincided with the 14th stage of La Vuelta 2024, ensuring the piece was seen by a large audience. The project underscores the need for accessible natural spaces, offering a powerful visual statement on inclusivity and accessibility, particularly for those with disabilities. The artist’s message is clear: nature should be open to all.
Welcome to BSA Images of the Week and to fall—officially here as of this morning in New York and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere. The leaves are starting to pop with yellows, people are breaking out the wool turtlenecks and corduroy way too early, and somewhere under the bleachers at football games, a few sneaky kisses are being stolen. Meanwhile, students are finally settling into the grind of the school year. But flip it for the folks south of the Equator, where spring’s about to bloom. In both hemispheres, whether it’s fall or spring, artists and vandals will continue to tag the overlooked corners and forgotten walls, staking their claim in public space.
This week in the BSA book review department, we’re diving into a new scholastic tome from one of the few brilliant graffiti scholars out there—Rafael Schacter. You might remember him from his global street art compendium, his curated show ‘Mapping the City’ at Somerset House in London (yes, the one that included people like Brad Downey, Swoon, and Eltono), or even his early work at the Tate back in ’08 with artists on the façade of the museum like Faile, Blu, and Os Gemeos. His latest book, Monumental Graffiti: Tracing Public Art and Resistance in the City (MIT Press), just landed on our doorstep. We’re eyeing it with both curiosity and caution as he’s making some bold connections between monuments and graffiti—connections that are peculiar on their face. He’s digging into a secondary or even third-tier definition of ‘monument,’ so who knows, it might all come together in the end. But this is the same guy who gave us ‘intramural’ graffiti about a decade ago… and, that term hasn’t hit the streets, as it were.
Re: intramural – In his curatorial work Schacter sometimes argues that street art occupies a unique space that is neither fully embraced by institutional frameworks (like museums and galleries, the “inside”) nor entirely outside them (like illegal, unsanctioned art in public spaces, the “outside”). Intramural, extramural. Makes total sense. But aside with the confusion caused by the word ‘mural’ buried inside it, there is perhaps a ‘branding’ problem with the word here in the US. It sounds too much like ‘intramural sports,’ which were always introduced at grade school for both boys and girls to play together to foster team-building skills – right around the age when girls typically think boys are ‘gross,’ and boys think girls are ‘weird.’ So it feels awkward and frightful! I feel like my voice is cracking and I’m growing a very light mustache when I hear it. Let’s see how this graffiti/monument thing works out. If anyone can do it, Rafael can!
And here we go boldly into the streets of New York and Berlin this week with new extramural stuff from: Judith Supine, Crash, 1UP Crew, Homesick, Nespoon, Hera, Phetus, Atomik, Qzar, Wild West, Drew Kane, and Seileise.
Berlin is teeming with artists of all kinds—not just street artists and graffiti writers—from around the world. For decades, the city has been a natural magnet for creatives. In conjunction with the new exhibition Love Letters to the City, Urban Nation brought around 20 artists to the streets surrounding the museum. The diverse techniques and styles showcased here reflect the incredible talent in the city—a convergence of dreams, aspirations, and life paths intersecting in this urban landscape. Below is a selection of walls and images we captured during the UN celebrations.
URBAN NATION MUSEUM’S EXHIBITION “LOVE LETTERS TO THE CITY” is currently on view. The Community Murals are also on view and free to the public. For schedules and further details click HERE
Culturally, artistically, and socially, Berlin never stops thrilling, surprising, and offering fresh perspectives. Though artists continue to discuss the rising cost of living and the slow disappearance of key clubs and cultural hubs, there’s still an undeniable fervor for new art and new participants are still shaking things up.
Witness the crowded museum and long lines of youth and middle-aged people, as well as some octogenarians at the Urban Nation opening here called “Love Letters to the City,” which is the main reason we’re here for a few days. The speeches, the beer, the energy, the high-quality installations and the questions they pose, the street fair with parkour and bBoys and bGirlz, rappers, kids tagging their names in aerosol at an open class, the exhibition boxing matches… It was a legit, diverse program, free of corporate overload, and with real talk on gentrification, the environment, and social and financial inequality. Once again, it proves that when art institutions take risks, they can give street art, graffiti, and urban art the respect they deserve.
While the debate still pops up about whether museums should even host street art and graffiti, there are smart and sharp pros teaming up with artists to push the conversation forward, broaden the topics, and bring more people into the mix. In the end, they’re archiving a small slice of this massive, chaotic global art movement – so future generations can get a glimpse of it, reflect on it, and maybe even get inspired.
While right-wing movements are reshaping politics here, leading to stricter border policies and longer lines at the airport, Berlin remains fiercely committed to its ragged, rebellious spirit of protecting individual liberties and free expression. The ironies are hard to miss: just two blocks from the Bulow Street Fair, a family-friendly block-long event celebrating what is officially illegal art on the street and political concerns may dominate conversations, Berlin hosts Folsom Europe, the largest festival for leather and fetish enthusiasts, raging freely for four days with five stages and a “puppy parade”. It’s a vivid contrast—on one hand, they’re tightening borders, and on the other, this is a celebration of personal freedom.
Also, it’s more entertaining than a boring football match. Thousands of (mostly) men parade down Fuggerstraße in neighboring Nollendorfstraße, stomping through the streets in various ensembles—militaristic oppressor, master and servant, or dog and owner themes. Regardless, most will be at brunch with hangovers the next morning. If a drunken one gets disorderly, the police are advised not to threaten with handcuffs. The festival attire may range from severe, almost fascist looks to outfits with a more playful fierceness, like brightly colored hazmat suits or firefighter uniforms. At the lower end of the fetish festival fashion spectrum are the guys who just threw on a leather vest or a pair of Doc Martens—and the “bought it at the mall” crowd are in one-piece leather or rubber jumpsuits with Hoxo sneakers, like race car drivers heading to the grocery store.
At Folsom, you can pick up everything from whips, paddles, original artwork, and adult toys to bratwurst, pretzels, beer, French fries (pommes), and meat skewers. There are also plenty of vegan and vegetarian options available. What’s most remarkable and admirable about the tough, perpetually unimpressed Berliners is that they’ve seen it all before and hardly take note. They go about their business—picking up Saturday groceries, maybe a bunch of flowers, or fetching their kid from Taekwondo class. They take their dog to the park to enjoy the sunny, chilly September weather. Everyday folks in the neighborhood wait patiently at the crosswalk, alongside a cluster of muscular men with mustaches and leather, sometimes greeting one another, but mostly unfazed by each other’s presence.
The current street art and graffiti—what’s been sprayed or pasted up recently—never fails to impress, even when you’re not entirely sure what it’s about. We’re happy to be here and to share some of it with you.
Here is our weekly interview with the streets, this week featuring Invader, 1Up Crew, Hera, Pobel, Nat At Art, One Truth, Natrix, Roffle, LAYD, T Tan Box, Rise, Petite Agite, Maxim, and PZE.
Join BSA this week in Berlin as we celebrate the opening of “Love Letters to the City,” the new exhibition at Urban Nation Museum. We’ll also be tooling around the city and sharing whatever catches our eye.
“Love Letters to the City is a homage to the city, the idea of the universal city,” curator Michelle Houston reflects while seated at a picnic table outside a Thai restaurant in Berlin’s Schöneberg neighborhood. As final installations are taking place in Urban Nation, Houston’s gazes upward at the new mural on its façade being painted by OG train writer Lady Pink on a cherry picker at the museum. This mural is part of Houston’s upcoming show, “Love Letters to the City.”
“I think paint in public spaces has a different potency in the city than anywhere else,” Houston explains, discussing the exhibition’s outdoor and indoor installations. She highlights the various ways Urban Nation is presenting the evolution of graffiti and street art, noting its role in urbanization, gentrification, and even social conditioning. “It does much more than just present pretty images.”
The museum’s exhibition features a diverse array of works, including full-scale three-dimensional installations and sculptures. A significant portion of the pieces are borrowed from the museum’s permanent collection, while others are newly commissioned from both national and international artists.
Currently, Lady Pink, born Sandra Fabara in 1964 in Ecuador, is working on her mural two stories above the bustling street. Her piece, an illustrative and fantastical love letter of her own, features a swirling train reminiscent of the NYC subway trains she became famous for painting in the early 1980s. Her work includes improvisational tags of other iconic figures from that era. In Berlin, where graffiti and street art have transformed entire neighborhoods and established it a magnet for creativity in the public space, her mural is a testament to the city’s rich artistic history.
For Houston, the mural is just one example of “the ingenious ways that artists hack and appropriate public space.”
Næstved Kunstby stands as a beacon for the preservation and celebration of graffiti culture, reflecting a deep respect for the evolution of street art from its origins in New York to its current global stature. Recently, the festival once again showcased its commitment to this vibrant culture with a special invitation to Martha Cooper, one of the most renowned photographers in graffiti history, to come and shoot the work, old and new. Her visit to Denmark is another chapter in capturing the raw, transformative power of graffiti and street art, underscoring the festival’s role in maintaining this artistic tradition.
Rooted in the early days of New York’s graffiti movement and inspired by its evolution, Næstved Kunstby has developed into a premier space for showcasing pivotal speakers, painters, and graffiti writers. With a foundation reference to early 70s New York graffiti, organizers site this rebellious form of self-expression in the DNA of the modern movements, with initial groups like the United Graffiti Artists (UGA) collective as pivotal in bringing this underground art form into the mainstream. Today, Næstved continues this legacy by hosting artists from around the world and offering a platform for both seasoned legends and rising stars in the graffiti scene to lecture and to get up on a wall.
“30 years has granted Næstved a special status within international graffiti and hip-hop culture. Hip hop and graffiti culture came to Europe and to Næstved more than 30 years ago,” says long-time curator William Hjorth (aka SWET). “Since that time the city has continuously had several unofficial street galleries. For this reason Næstved has always had a regular flow of visiting graffiti artists from all over the world.”
When describing the origin and focus of the festival Hjorth is clear about the role of graffiti. “All the works belonging to Næstved Kunstby are made by an array of international artists selected and curated because of their focused efforts and commitment to graffiti culture,” he says. “Each artist belonging to Næstved Kunstby comes from the graffiti culture and plying their skills in the streets was always part of growing up.”
The festival’s recent edition was a testament to its dedication. From live painting sessions to mural installations, the event offered a comprehensive view of graffiti’s evolution. With past artists including OSGEMEOS, Loomit, and ARYZ, the festival has consistently featured top-tier talent. Næstved Kunstby isn’t just about celebrating paint or plugging artists; it’s about understanding its impact on society and fostering future creativity. The festival’s educational component includes workshops and artist talks, providing valuable insights into the techniques and cultural significance of graffiti. These sessions not only engage the local community but also inspire young artists to explore and contribute to the evolving graffiti tradition.
The festival is entertaining for more general audiences to enjoy as well. But at the root, the origin story never waivers when Hjorth describes the life of graffiti writers and related art-makers. “Their learning and development came from hours of dedication in the streets or by the railroad tracks as opposed to training in art schools and professional environments. Subsequently, they now do more than just create works of art. They all actively contribute to the culture of hip-hop, and both inspire and educate young talents worldwide. This was also a driving force behind their agreeing to participate in this project.”
Næstved Kunstby offers a unique platform for international artists from New York, Barcelona, São Paulo, and other major cities to contribute to a dynamic collection of murals reflecting a diverse range of styles and influences. This global perspective, combined with the festival’s deep-rooted appreciation for the origins of graffiti, creates a cultural dialogue that is both forward-thinking and historically informed.
These recent photos by Martha Cooper not only document the festival’s impact but also reaffirm Næstved Kunstby’s role as a dedicated protector of graffiti history and a supporter of artistic innovation.
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
