You might not expect it, but the Belfast Cathedral Quarter was quite a mad rush of activity on Sunday morning. We heard “Ave Maria” played on church bells through the fog out the hotel window, raucously accompanied by the squawks, screeches, and cries of seagulls nesting on the roof next door. Next, we heard and saw the boisterous fans of the 26.2-mile May Day Marathon who were piled 2 deep and hollering and clapping from the sidewalk as several thousand damp runners flew by with numbered banners on their chests. We signaled our support for the athletes by lifting breakfast forks full of fried eggs, boiled tomatoes, potato bread, bacon, and black pudding as we watched through the gauzy curtains of the hotel lobby.
But you are here for the “Hit the North” festival, now in its 12th year, only a few blocks from the cathedral. With the Sunflower bar at the intersection of Union Street and Kent Street, you have reached the epicenter where long wooden tables are set up in the middle of the street for visitors to have refreshments, and 50-60 artists are lining up to paint side by side up and down the block. The smell of aerosol thickens through the streets. The Seedhead Arts team—Adam, Eoin, Zippy, Rory, and a few others—are all arriving with boxes of paint supplies, t-shirts, ladders, and maps for the stream of visitors who are gathering to watch, have a beer, take selfies, and possibly talk with artists as they create.
With Seedhead, the aim is to provide platforms for artists and performers to showcase their talents while fostering connections between artists and audiences. They often collaborate with local venues, artists, and cultural organizations to create dynamic and engaging events that contribute to Belfast’s street art/public art scene.
One such example of the evolution of community art festivals was the presence of the rest of the family for Northern Irish painter and print-maker Sara Majury, who has only recently begun to translate her art to the street, having taken a course on how to do so. Her small family, with whom she traveled this morning from a rural part of the country called County Down, sat on the sidewalk across the street, watching curious visitors walk past them while she prepared her wall. Her husband Johnny spoke briefly to us while their kids Rory and Freya enjoyed a snack and knocked over their flasks of water a couple of times. While mom was testing paint cans and sifting through the bag of stencils to layer on the wall, Johnny, a leather costume designer for shows like “Game of Thrones,” tells us that the children will stay still for a few more minutes because they were promised food. A moment later, he produces small sandwiches and chips for them before describing the further entertainment he plans to offer – to take them to see the Festival of Fools performances at a location just two blocks away.
We had some other great conversations with artists and visitors here this afternoon but we’ll bring you more later. For now, here we bring you scenes of some works in progress at “Hit the North.” These walls will be completed by six pm if the weather stays dry. Then, off to the bar for some curry and a glass of beer to celebrate with the artists, many of whom have traveled a great distance, for a job well done at this year’s “Hit the North.” To summarize a sentiment that we’ve heard here a few times from organizer Adam Turkington; the artists, visitors, and advertisers all leave, but in the end, it is the art that remains here on the street.
As the busy streets of Belfast hum with anticipation for the weekend’s festivities, an air of artistic energy and cultural vibrancy permeates the city, punctuated by the occasional liberty of a flying seagull overhead to remind you this is a historic port town.
“There’s a lot on,” says the cashier at Sawers, a specialty food shop that will sell you some smoked salmon or a bucket of mixed olives or a plate of boxty (a traditional Irish grated potato pancake). On your way to a talk by Bill Rolston at the Ulster Museum about his 40 years photographing political murals in Belfast, you’ll have a chance encounter with artist Lidia Cao atop a cherry picker. This Gen Z muralist offers a glimpse into the creative fervor igniting the city, and this time. Her solitary portraits of young women in contemplative states are lyrical; Cao’s work adds a touch of introspection to this urban landscape.
Meanwhile, French muralist Veks Van Hillik is hard at work, channeling the spirit of Irish mythology into his latest creation. Inspired by the legendary tale of the Salmon of Knowledge, Hillik’s mural depicts a nine-eyed fish, a symbol of wisdom and insight. “I grew up in a countryside not unlike the ones here – where we have a lot of landscapes like the one I placed here behind this Salmon of Knowledge,” he says while speaking of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France. Drawing from the techniques of Flemish painters like Flanders and Jan van Eyck, Hillik’s brand-new masterpiece promises to transport viewers into an enchanting surreality.
Two blocks away, Mexican artist Sr. Papá Chango references those warm painting techniques as well. Still, his references are to the homey reproductions that are sometimes found in family homes – eventually given to a charity second-hand store. Since his painting is on the side of such a store that sells donated homewares and personal goods to benefit those in need, it’s a perfect way to render his golden vase, which accompanies one of his signature imagined creatures. The 4-leaf clover not only refers to good luck but to the tales told in Ireland for decades, or centuries perhaps.
As the city pulses with excitement, visitors are spoiled for choice with many events, attractions, and conversations. From the Moy Park Belfast City Marathon to the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival to the Festival of Fools, there’s no shortage of arts and entertainment. If you seek the thrill of live music that invites you to participate, the streets are also blessed with live musicians playing on wee stages in bars and pubs; everything from American country covers of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers to “Whisky in a Jar” and “Wild Rover” to Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline”. Not that they compare to the floating euphoria of the periodic hen & stag parties on “party bikes” as they roll past you singing with unmatched enthusiasm, their voices bouncing off small winding brick streets. Notable songs sung at the top of lungs this afternoon were “Wonderwall” from Oasis, and a screaming rendition of “Back to December” from, yes, Taylor Swift.
But perhaps the true highlight of the weekend lies in the celebrated tradition of street art, as “Hit the North” returns for its 12th installment. Spearheaded by the brilliant self-effacing cultural advocate and organizer Adam Turkington of SeedHead Arts, this small team of creatives and producers somehow host and direct over 60 local and international artists who have arrived to showcase their ideas and talents on the streets. And while the May Day March on Writer’s Square is raising consciousness about Palestinians in Gaza, we’ll save stories about that very public demonstration for, as they say, another day.
‘If you can see the mountains, it’s going to rain. If you can’t see the mountains, it’s already raining.’ – just one of the witty quips that people here say to face the soggy inclemency. It helps that all that rain has brought a spring that is deeply green and blossomed. On a foggy spritz of a day like today, the enthusiasm and stoic insistence on enjoying the public sphere is on proud display here in Belfast. Maybe we’re just suckers for emotive expression, but coupled with the occasional poem someone recites on a barstool or a park bench, these songs all make one feel nostalgic and yearning, even if you’re drinking a Guinness Open Gate Pure Brew.
The weeklong celebration will culminate in a ‘Block party’ on Sunday 5th May where spectators can soak up the party atmosphere and enjoy entertainment, food trucks, and refreshments as they watch murals come to life. HTN 24 will welcome an impressive list of international street artists.
BSA has arrived in Belfast to attend the Hit the North Festival and hopefully gain a greater appreciation for the role political murals have played here, even as a new generation of painters moves forward from the Troubles of the recent past in Northern Ireland and Ireland.
The first encounter with the Bobby Sands mural in Belfast can be a moment of profound connection with the city’s history and the complex evolution it has undergone. As you stand before the gable end of the Sinn Féin Headquarters on Falls Road, your gaze meets the smiling image of Bobby Sands, an iconic figure in the Irish Republican movement. Painted in 1998, this mural encapsulates the spirit of resistance and sacrifice that defines Belfast’s tumultuous past.
Upon our first entry into the city, before even going to the hotel, the well-versed and talented historical guide Billy Scott, takes us to see this memorial to this Belfastian. Born in 1954, Sands was deeply embroiled in the Troubles from a young age, witnessing firsthand the sectarian violence that tore through his community. His journey led him to join the Provisional IRA, and he became a pivotal figure in the Republican struggle.
Phrases adorning the mural—”Everyone A Republican or Otherwise, has their Own Particular Role to Play,” and “Our Revenge Will Be The Laughter Of Our Children”—serve as poignant reminders of ideals for which Sands fought and the enduring legacy he left behind.
The Bobby Sands mural is painted by an artist named Danny Devenny, a well-known muralist in Northern Ireland, recognized for his contributions to the political and cultural landscape of Belfast through his artwork. Additional work by the French street artist Jef Aerosol on the lower right hand section is a continuation of the mural’s narrative, adding layers of artistic interpretation to amplify Sands’ legacy and the broader themes of resistance and remembrance depicted in the mural.
Touring is not unusual for Paul McCartney, who has traversed the globe nearly non-stop for six decades. Yet, this time, his photographer’s eye is center stage, with the imagined tour t-shirt swapping one-night stands for months-long engagements. Launched last year at the National Portrait Gallery in London and having traveled to the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, ‘Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64, Eyes of the Storm’ now graces the Brooklyn Museum before heading to Portland in the autumn. Happily, McCartney attended this week’s opening, where the program of over 250 photographs impressed with its quality craftsmanship and unpretentious candidness—hallmarks of the artist’s approach.
The multi-gallery exhibition on the 5th floor provides a chaptered overview of more than 250 photographs, many unseen by the public, taken between November 1963 and February 1964. These images offer a unique insider’s view of Beatlemania, capturing intimate and candid moments as The Beatles rose from UK sensations to global superstars. McCartney’s collection confidently showcases his talents with peerless high-quality prints that capture the essence and communicate the dynamics during those frenetic months. Rather than hurried or slapdash shots, the works reveal the sensitivity of the shooter, his respectful empathy for the subjects, and what can be described as the innocence of the time.
It’s easy to forget that these photographs document a significant period in 20th-century music and culture, a time so transformative that it seems improbable any band could again evoke the excitement and intensity of The Beatles’ early fame. Now viewed as a foundational moment for future popular culture and musical entertainment developments, these frank and sometimes humorous shots provide a crucial historical record.
McCartney’s detailed curation and collaboration with galleries worldwide emphasize his singular vision and appreciation for the rich culture fostered by collaboration. For Beatles fans and photography enthusiasts alike, this exhibition offers a delightful glimpse into history through the lens of one of its most iconic figures.
As founding members of the Martha Cooper Library at the Urban Nation Museum in Berlin, Brooklyn Street Art (BSA) proudly showcases a monthly feature from the MCL collection, illuminating the extensive and diverse treasures we’re assembling for both researchers and enthusiasts of graffiti, street art, urban art, and its numerous offshoots. Below, we present one of our latest selections.
Text Steven P. Harrington and Jaime Rojo Photos by Sebastian Kläbsch
“ROA Codex,” a comprehensive exploration of the enigmatic Belgian street artist ROA, compiled by Ann Van Hulle with notable contributions from Lucy Lippard and Johan Braeckman and others, offers an unfiltered window into a decade of work that defies conventional artistic boundaries. ROA’s journey, beginning in the industrial landscapes of Belgium, extends to global outdoor canvases, where his art disrupts the mundane, evoking a primal connection to the natural world.
In this monograph, ROA’s artistry is portrayed as large-scale murals and an ongoing dialogue between our baffling constructed human existence and the animal kingdom. His work, often emerging from unexpected urban and rural backdrops, confronts the viewer with the familiar yet unknown. This juxtaposition of animals and architecture, depicted in stark monochrome, resonates with an uncanny sense of the creatures within and around us, often forgotten in our contemporary lifestyles.” Click URBAN NATION BERLIN to continue reading.
Spring is astoundingly colorful on the street in New York this year, with many new graffiti writers and street artists joining the existing throng and bringing their skills to a wall near you. At times, it appears now that we have as many artists as tourists in New York, but if they roll a suitcase, it is probably full of cans.
Here is our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Ron English, Homesick, Basquiat, Huetek, Biggie Smalls, Hops Art, Akira Toriyama, Blanca Romero, 2DX, Nike Kasio, Gouch NKC, Theme KED, Maximilian Romero, EA EO, Browine, Sintez One, FSG Park, and Jaek El Diablo.
You are inundated with information, disinformation, propaganda, images, videos, entreaties, siren calls, threats, promises, summaries, conjecture, stunning beauty, deliberate obfuscations, ethereal reveries, and alluring promises from the moment you awake until the moment you collapse, semi-sleepless—a waking stew that either propels you forward or leaves you immobile. Institutions and conventions are deteriorating and transforming, food is becoming fashion, tyranny is turning into entertainment, fiat currency is declining, and there is endless war in the name of peace. Do you have a plan? Will it succeed? Are we living in a Fellini film?”
Johannes Mundinger. La Bella Confusione. Urban Spree Gallery. Berlin. (photo courtesy of the artist)
“The actors are hired, the set if being built, the press is informed,” says Berlinian artist Johannes Mundinger about the film ‘8 ½’, “but what no one knows is that the director has no idea about the story line, yet.”
In a hyper-stimulated world, we are besieged by an onslaught of information and sensory overload—a somewhat relentless droning hum. The lines blur between reality and spectacle, much like the swirling confusion in Federico Fellini’s cinematic masterpiece, “8 ½”. The film portrays a director, overwhelmed and directionless amidst the clamor of production. Similarly, Berlin-based artist Johannes Mundinger captured this beautiful chaos in his recent solo exhibition, “La Bella Confusione,” at Urban Spree Galerie in Berlin.
Johannes Mundinger. La Bella Confusione. Urban Spree Gallery. Berlin. (photo courtesy of the artist)
Held at the renowned raw campus and sometimes circus at Revaler Str. 99 in the vibrant district of Friedrichshain, the exhibition spanned two months in early 2024. A showcase of paintings and the act of creation, Mundinger transformed the gallery’s vast 175 square meters into a live studio. Here, the walls became canvases and vice versa, reflecting the artist’s internal musings and the external pressures reminiscent of Fellini’s fictional director. The title “La Bella Confusione” or “The Beautiful Confusion” aptly encapsulates the essence of Mundinger’s work—drawing parallels between the chaotic process of artistic creation and the disorderly splendor of our contemporary existence.
Here we show Mundinger’s extended artistic dialogue on an outer wall of Urban Spree, perhaps serving as a testament to the ephemeral nature of creativity and the perpetual influence of our surroundings.
Johannes Mundinger. La Bella Confusione. Urban Spree Gallery. Berlin. (photo courtesy of the artist)Johannes Mundinger. La Bella Confusione. Urban Spree Gallery. Berlin. (photo courtesy of the artist)Johannes Mundinger. La Bella Confusione. Urban Spree Gallery. Berlin. (photo courtesy of the artist)Johannes Mundinger. La Bella Confusione. Urban Spree Gallery. Berlin. (photo courtesy of the artist)
We are excited to announce that BSA will be part of the exhilarating ‘Hit the North’ 2024 festival in Belfast! We look forward to meeting friends, artists, and masters of the aerosol realm in beautiful Northern Ireland.
Hosted by Seedhead Arts, ‘Hit the North’ is celebrated as NI’s biggest street art festival. This year marks a milestone—the festival’s 12th birthday—and it promises to be the most impressive edition yet. The festival is set to showcase an inspiring collection of 50 local, national, and international artists, and the main action unfolds on Union Street and Kent Street.
The festival’s impact has nurtured Northern Ireland’s street art scene, welcoming over 200 artists from around the globe and integrating NI’s rich cultural heritage for mural art into the modern era. We are particularly excited to see how the addition of street art has changed Belfast and to explore how the city blends its proud history of mural art with this international movement of graffiti, street art, and mural art festivals.
The ten-day celebration will culminate in a ‘paint jam’ on Sunday, 12th May, with live entertainment, food trucks, and refreshments, all while watching stunning murals come to life. Over the past 12 years, ‘Hit the North’ has played a pivotal role in the rejuvenation efforts of the North Street area and has significantly influenced the local street art scene.
Click HERE to learn more about participating artists, calendar of events, and programs during HIT THE NORTH STREET ART FESTIVAL
“It’s the only time of the year when New York City smells good,” says your cranky Uncle Jaime about the flowers and blossoms everywhere as he stretches on the couch with his second cup of coffee and gazes out the window at the sky. Outside, there is a battle between the diverse vocal repertoires and mimicry of mockingbirds singing from branches, utility poles, and wires – and the little league fans squealing, exhorting, and shouting with joy from the bleachers every time a smartly uniformed child whacks a ball with the wooden bat and trundles up the path to first base.
We are constantly amazed by the new street art that is popping up in the boroughs – on construction fencing around empty lots, on doorways in industrial zones, on chain-link fences under bridges, on old telephone booths, lamp posts, crumbling brick facades, and the backs of street signs. With the New York spring, there are tulips popping up from the grassy patches everywhere – even those random 3-foot-long rectangles surrounded by concrete and piled with dog poop.
There are blooms on the trees – the Kwanzan and Yoshino cherry trees are in bloom at the Brooklyn and Bronx Botanical Gardens, in Central Park in Manhattan, in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, in the New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden at Snug Harbor in Staten Island. Spring also brings us a new crop of fresh aerosol missives, wheat-pasted characters, stenciled witticisms, radical opinions, and secret yearnings. Together with the weathered and the worn street art from previous seasons, it’s an ongoing visual cacophony.
And now, here are images from our ongoing conversation with the street, this week, including: Captain Eyeliner, Tats Cru, Stikki Peaches, Eternal Possessions, Jappy Agoncillo, One Rad Latina, Tom Bob NYC, Travis, BBW.BUND.COP, Lunar YCP, NAY 381, and Kristian Boyum (visiting from Norway).
Today, we pay tribute to an iconic figure from the Puerto Rican graffiti scene, Eliezer “SKE” Pagán Torres. Born on August 31, 1971, in Carolina, Puerto Rico, SKE was a pioneering spirit whose artistic journey began in the early 1980s. His works, influenced by the vibrancy of Puerto Rican culture and the early New York graffiti styles, resonated deeply across local and international communities.
SKE passed away on April 1, 2024, leaving behind a legacy marked by bold expressions and a profound connection to his roots. His art was not just seen; it was felt, encapsulating the dynamic life and spirit of Puerto Rico. SKE’s style was characterized by its vivid imagery and thoughtful representation of societal aspirations and the influence of the culture, which he hoped would be his lasting memory. Our condolences to his family, friends, and fans.
The photos we’re showcasing today come from an emotional tribute by artists in Spain, captured by photographer Lluis Olivares Bulbena. These images from Las Tres Chimeneas park in Barcelona reflect the profound respect and affection many in the global graffiti community had for SKE. His influence stretched far beyond the shores of Puerto Rico, touching hearts and inspiring fellow artists from New York to Barcelona. SKE’s work remains a powerful reminder of art’s impact in pulling people together and voicing the stories and dreams of a community.
From @brebarcelona: “Mural in memory of @theamazingske! Blessings to the family and all the closest brothers in Graffiti, from Barcelona we share your feelings with the best we can do, PAINT A GREAT WALL! MAC & BAD CREWS represent in Barcelona @chanmacrew @soemmac @sez69_mac @brebarcelona and @absure2000_sac_156_tsf_cpa_tkb & @baysking7.
Thanks to @divine7rbg @thestationbcn for the warmth in their club, @djcanhiphop for the music, @pinturasdecorluxe for the plastic paint and everyone who came to see us live!
Always with us on earth all those who went to paint the sky too soon!”
Elfo, the ever-witty Italian street artist, strikes again with his latest work scrawled across an abandoned building in Italy. Known for his sharp irony and pointed cultural commentary, Elfo’s simple yet profound statements challenge the norm and provoke thought.
This new one, “I’m a Figurative Painter,” reflects his signature style of engaging viewers by intertwining absurd humor with subtle critique. In an era where public relations spin often overshadows truth and even establishes it, Elfo’s art presumes to override one’s sense of sense. As ever, few will celebrate Elfo’s genius in transforming an abandoned mundane rural space into a forum for challenging the establishment and puzzling the public.
Welcome to BSA’s Images of the Week. We decided to dedicate this weekly survey to the artists of “Return 2 Burn”, its organizers, and the streets that brought us here.
The new “Return 2 Burn” exhibition at the old train station in Hunts Point, Bronx, serves as a modern continuum of pivotal artistic moments from New York’s vibrant past, echoing the groundbreaking energies of the Fun Gallery, The Times Square Show, and initiatives by Collaborative Projects Inc. (Colab) and Fashion Moda. These seminal venues and events of the early 1980s, such as the Fun Gallery (1981-1985) and The Times Square Show of 1980, were instrumental in merging the diverse cultural and artistic energies of “uptown” and “downtown” scenes. They featured artists whose names would become prominent, like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Futura, Rammelzee, Crash, Jenny Holzer, and many others whose work intertwined and intersected with the emergent graffiti and street art movements against a backdrop of punk, hip-hop, and an unprecedented cultural fusion that was happening across the city.
This week, the art world mourned the loss of Patti Astor, the trailblazing founder of the Fun Gallery and a pivotal character in Charlie Ahearn’s iconic film “Wild Style.” Her legacy, which has deeply influenced the intersection of hip-hop, graffiti, and urban culture, remains a testament to her visionary impact on New York City’s vibrant art scene.
“Return 2 Burn” builds upon this legacy by featuring contemporary and enduring artists from those earlier movements like Skeme, Tkid 170, Martha Cooper, John Fekner, and Al Diaz—who notably co-created SAMO tags and cryptic texts on the street with Basquiat—linking the historical narrative of New York’s street art from its inception to the present. These artists’ work stood alongside others such as Chris from Robots Will Kill, Indie, Buff Monster, UFO907, and Wane for the vibrant opening night, celebrating an ongoing narrative of experimentation and discovery in the street art/graffiti scene today across this city’s boroughs. The atmosphere was electric, charged with the energy of fans, collectors, storytellers, and historical figures of the graffiti and street art scene.
This collection of photos was shot while the exhibition was still being assembled—”work in process” shots. Their sometimes raw quality signals that the exhibition is a living entity produced by many hands; curator Robert Aloia says it is expected to evolve throughout the spring and summer.
The opening night crowd underscored the exhibition’s role as more than just a collection of artworks but also a gathering place for the community and a hopeful signpost for our collective creative future as we enter such uncertain times. It is a testament to the evolution of graffiti, street art, conceptual art, sculpture, public art, and muralism and their enduring significance in urban culture and public dialogue. The installed pieces—captured before the doors officially opened—are a diverse and dynamic reflection of the art movement, a snapshot of this moment at this location that recognizes the hundreds of artists whose work is on New York streets at any moment.
Through the visionary efforts of curators like Robert Aloia and Jennifer Giraldo of Outlaw Arts, and their collaboration with Majora Carter and James Carter of Bronxlandia, “Return 2 Burn” reminds us how exhibitions can serve as cultural synthesizers. The dedication of independent curators and organizers ensures that the legacy of New York’s unique art scene not only persists but also adapts and thrives, engaging new generations of artists and audiences alike. Moreover, the vital role of those who document, write about, and archive these events is crucial; without their work, such exhibitions’ rich history and transformative impact would not be preserved.
New York City has consistently nurtured subcultures by providing ample space, resources, and an environment conducive to growth—a spirit deeply embedded in the Punk D.I.Y. tradition. This creation of spaces for artists truly captures the essence of the city. And while we appear to be losing gallery spaces, we always have the streets. In New York City, D.I.Y. isn’t just a concept—it’s synonymous with NYC itself.
Skeme creating his latest for “Return 2 Burn”. Skeme, known as “Skeme the 3 Yard King,” is a prominent graffiti artist, celebrated within the graffiti community for his work in New York City during the movement’s early days. He was featured in the documentary “Style Wars,” a seminal film directed by Tony Silver and produced in collaboration with Henry Chalfant. The film is significant because it was one of the first documentaries to capture the graffiti subculture of New York City in the early 1980s.
The lineup includes: Aiko, Al Diaz, Austin Pinon, Basie Allen, BlusterOne, Buff Monster, Camella Ehlke, Cassandra Mayela, Chris RWK, Dr. Revolt, Faust, Ghost, Giz, Indie 184, JJ Veronis, John Fekner, Jon Burgerman, Judith Supine, Kade198, Lamour Supreme, Martha Cooper, Matt Siren, Modus, Peter Paid, Pork, Queen Andrea, Roycer, Saman & Sasan Oskouei, Sheryo & Yok, Skeme, Tkid, Totem, UF0907, VFR, and Wane One
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
