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.
Speaking of school, one of our favorite students of life and hometown graffiti/street art/ contemporary art hero Futura 2000 is opening his new exhibition today at the Bronx Museum, illustrating that if you keep up your work, your style, your discipline, and your passion, eventually people may celebrate you in your front yard. If you meet him, Futura will be more than willing to school you on NYC graffiti culture, history, and how to spot the genuine over the fake.
Meanwhile, in New York this week, “Artists4Ceasefire launched a partnership with artist Shepard Fairey and humanitarian organizations to call for a halt to weapons transfers that violate U.S. and international law.” With the art we have seen in the streets around this city and the new campus protests that immediately commenced this week, it appears that this is turning into a grassroots movement, with a majority of Americans who want immediate action to stop the killing and achieve a permanent ceasefire.
Here is our weekly interview with the streets, this week featuring Praxis, BK Foxx, CDRE, Alex Itin, OSK, Matt Crabe, Lady Sea Wench, Just Jud, Jobe, JM DiZefalo, PT, Fionac, CIR, 4OK, Dray, RAZL, CONZ, and 17 Matrix.
Urban Nation Museum in Berlin invites New York legend Lady Pink to paint the museum façade to open the new exhibition, “Love Letters to the City.”
Opening at the URBAN NATION Museum on Friday, September 13, 2024, this multi-factorial and dynamic showcase, curated by Michelle Houston, celebrates the city’s essence through the eyes of over fifty international and Berlin-based street artists.
Keeping the focus local, the festivities with the Bülow Streetart Jam start Monday, September 9, with the Bülow Street Festival leading up to the grand exhibition launch. Hosted by the Berliner Leben Foundation and Gewobag, the community-centered event will invite participants from all over to be part of the art-making. The day after the exhibition opening, there will also be a Fresh A.I.R. Open House on September 14; where artists will offer a behind-the-scenes look at their current projects.
“Love Letters to the City” invites you to consider how art transforms and reflects urban spaces, our adoption of and reaction to them, and, ultimately, how they become part of the definition of a city. The new exhibition aims to spark critical conversations about urbanization, gentrification, and social issues. Among the extensive offerings are powerful works that challenge our perspectives and possibly inspire change within our shared human-built environments.
Come to Berlin to celebrate with BSA and UN as we explore the profound impact of street art on our cityscapes.
Exhibition Opening: September 13, 2024, 7–11 pm URBAN NATION Museum, Bülowstraße 7, 10783 Berlin
Participating artists: 2501, Aniruddh Mehta, Banksy, Blek le Rat, Bordalo II, Carlos Mare aka Mare139, Chop ’em Down Films, Crash, Dan Witz, Daze, Drew.Lab_One, Elfo, Evol, HA Schult, HOGRE, Isaac Zavale, James Reka, Jaune, Jazoo Yang, Joel Daniel Phillips, Johannnes Mundinger, Jordan Seiler, Kenny Scharf, Lady Pink, Liviu Bulea, Martha Cooper, Matthew Grabelsky, MILLO, Moses & Taps, Nika Kramer, Octavi Serra, Owen Dippie, OX, PAINTING DHAKA Project, Paradox, Rocco and his brothers, Sebas Velasco, Shepard Fairey, Stephanie Buer, Stiftung Berliner Mauer, Stipan Tadić, Susanna Jerger, Tats Cru, THE WA, Vhils and Zhang Dali.
BÜLOW STREETART JAM September 9 to 14, 2024 Bülowstraße around the URBAN NATION Museum
The week before the grand opening of the exhibition LOVE LETTERS TO THE CITY creative people from all over the world will paint new Community Walls and create Floating Murals. Among the highlights is the new museum façade of the URBAN NATION by Lady Pink, a tribute to the city. The artist Jazoo Yang invites you to become part of a unique community wall, where you can put your fingerprint on a wall at Bülowstr. 95 and leave a colorful trace. Join in on September 14, 2024, 12-6 pm.
FOR COMPLETE LIST OF PARTICIPATING ARTISTS AND SCHEDULE CLICK HERE
BÜLOW STREET FESTIVAL September 13 to 15, 2024 Zietenstraße, 10783 Berlin, at the URBAN NATION Museum
In conjunction with the opening of the LOVE LETTERS TO THE CITY exhibition at the URBAN NATION Museum and the Berlin Democracy Day month of action, we are focusing on diversity and creative exchange in our city. The Bülow Street Festival brings together social and artistic projects committed to an open and inclusive society. It offers an opportunity to discover art and culture together and be inspired by the city’s creative energy. The weekend attracts visitors with artistic workshops, temporary floating murals, rousing music, exciting performances, delicious street food and more. Come celebrate with BSA as we will be in Berlin all week – come Celebrate with us!
OPEN HOUSE at Fresh A.I.R. #9 September 14, 2024, 4-8 pm Bülowstr. 7, 10783 Berlin
Fresh A.I.R.’s OPEN HOUSE offers an exclusive look behind the scenes and the unique opportunity to talk to artists and peer over their shoulders. Come by on September 14 between 4 and 8 p.m.
Today we have images from the the 9th Edition of the International Street Art Festival Graffitea in Cheste, Spain! Every April for the last nine years, Graffitea presents locals with a dynamic celebration of urban art – transforming the streets of Cheste into a massive canvas with works made by national and international artists.
Located approximately 30 kilometers west of the city of Valencia, Cheste is becoming a notable destination for street art and cultural tourism. Cheste’s vibrant cultural scene is highlighted by several key attractions that draw visitors from far and wide, like the historic town center, its picturesque plazas, Valencian architecture, traditional local markets, the Circuit Ricardo Tormo racing events, and The San Francisco de Asís Church with its baroque architecture and intricate interior.
This year’s festival featured an impressive lineup of artists, including Jota López, B:K Mafia, Bublegum, Barbiturikills, Luca Ledda, La Compañía de Mario, Yeko Yekill, Nemo LKA, Zorro, and Lluís Salvador. Each artist has contributed to an ever-expanding collection of over 130 murals that adorn the façades and walls of Cheste’s residential and industrial buildings. In addition, the festival’s artistic director, Toni Espinar, has created the inaugural mural in the “Muros Insumisos” (Insurgent Walls) series, which aims to provoke thought and dialogue through art.
This year’s theme emphasized the freedom of expression and community collaboration that Graffitea is known for. In addition to live painting, the festival included guided tours, educational workshops, and the screening of a documentary exploring the historical roots of hip-hop, produced over two years of research and filming. Schools in the area also participated, creating collaborative murals as part of the UrbanEducArt competition led by Valencian artist Xemayo.
Cheste, with a population of approximately 8,500, is becoming well known for its street art scene and Graffitea continues to enhance the city’s cultural landscape, cementing its place in the broader network of contemporary art museums and cultural events. The festival’s impact has been recognized with awards for cultural governance and is gradually attracting more international attention. We thank photographer Lluis Olive for regaling BSA readers with some photos he captured during a recent trip to Valencia.
In the past two decades, Asbury Park, New Jersey, has undergone a dramatic transformation, evolving from a struggling, economically challenged city into a pleasantly eclectic one. This shift, driven by gentrification, has attracted a wealthier demographic, including professionals and artists from nearby New York City, drawn by affordable housing, a revitalized waterfront, and the promise of a burgeoning cultural scene. For many, it has become a trendy, artistic destination.
The Wooden Walls Project, launched in 2015, has been central to its evolution, thanks to Jenn Hampton and Porkchop of Parlor Gallery. A slew of artists—officially and unofficially curated— have regaled Asbury Park with many large-scale murals and street art installations. This week, you’ll see a few examples of work we caught down by the beach as summer slowly burns toward fall.
We’re also regaled by a few other pieces we’ve caught recently elsewhere.
Here is our weekly interview with the streets, this week featuring Logan Hicks, Joe Iurato, Greg Lamarche, Beau Stanton, Hyland Mather, Ellena Lourens, Porkchop, Bradley Hoffer, H Kubed, Amberella, ONEQ, Ray Geary, Cameli, and Leaf 8K.
The conventions are done and dusted, and the candidates are locked in. Everyone’s got their pick: some are waving the Kamala flag, while others are riding the Trump train. But while the political stage is buzzing, the street art scene is still playing catch-up. The new Democratic contender hasn’t exactly made it onto many murals yet. But if you want to know how folks are really vibing, just check out the street portraits—artists are always a step ahead of the polls when it comes to capturing the public mood.
Here is our weekly interview with the streets, this week featuring ERRE, Hops Art, BK Ackler, Hops1, Wane COD, PHD, DRIK, Mack Colours, Olig, Souls, No Name Stencil, RAIZE, Scottie Marsh, Ques, 718 Crew, and Wild Cat.
On the night Kamala Harris accepts the Democratic nomination, street artist Shepard Fairey reveals his new poster, which is available for home printing. This follows his iconic “HOPE” poster of Barack Obama, with the latest design focusing on the theme of “FORWARD.” While Harris may not have the same popularity or charisma as Obama, she has committed to advancing the country, contrasting with the Republican candidate, who appears to offer a look back to better times. Her potential administration would likely include many of the exact key figures as Obama and Biden—Blinken, Yellen, Rice, Austin, Holder—offering a hint of what’s to come. With roughly 70 days remaining, Americans are buckling their seatbelts yet again.
“We are not going back.” These words from Kamala Harris summarize the moment we are in, and in order not to go back, we must go FORWARD! While we have not achieved all the goals we might be seeking, we are making progress – all in the face of expanding threats and regressive political adversaries.
But we are not going back. In fact, we have a very real opportunity to move forward. If we act we can move forward our desire for a healthy planet, for corporate accountability, toward equality and away from racism, sexism, xenophobia, and homophobia, for equitable access to opportunity, for full access to the medical care we want or need, for fair and just immigration policies.
I believe VP Kamala Harris and her VP pick Tim Walz are our best chance to move forward. They are our best chance to push back on encroaching fascism and threats to democracy, and our best chance for creating the world we all desire and deserve. Politics is messy… but messy is no excuse for checking out. Messy is the work and the work can be joyful. Messy is what it takes to get through the daunting mess in pursuit of a better future. But we only win if we show up. Be ready for Nov. 5. Check your voter registration status now.
This art is a tool of grassroots activism for all to use non-commercially. I was not paid for it and will not receive any financial benefit from it. I created this work purely in pursuit of a better future. Let’s get there together! ~ Shepard Fairey
Art by Shepard Fairey. Reference photo by Lawrence Jackson / Biden for President is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0; For personal, non-commercial use only.
In the urban landscape where human ingenuity meets the raw edges of industrial neglect, street artists like Mariusz Waras excel in transforming overlooked spaces, animating them. Waras (AKA M-City), is known for his expansive murals and street art that appears across over forty countries, is one example of how the artist’s vision can reframe and rejuvenate neglected urban environments. Similarly, the digital realm has seen artists and technologists in the Demoscene meticulously re-engineering code to craft immersive experiences that challenge and redefine virtual spaces. These digital pioneers have turned lines of code into poetry, movement, and sound, projecting their creations onto walls to alter perceptions and environments.
The exhibition LOOP at CSW Łaźnia in Gdańsk, Poland, is a testament to this transformative power of art, bridging the worlds of physical street art and digital innovation. Curated by Anna Szynwelska, whose practice often explores the intersection of traditional and new media, LOOP embodies this fusion with its groundbreaking approach. Szynwelska’s previous projects, such as Bigger than Life and The Art of the Internet, reveal her dedication to examining how technology reshapes art and audience experience.
“The starting point of the exhibition and its core material are my works (mainly paintings) and their language,” says Waras. “Like I do when working on a painting, I reached to a digital library of elements, created consistently since the outset of the M-city project, namely to the graphic equivalents of various urban objects. Using AI tools, 3D visuals, and sonification, together with the team, I created an exhibition that fully relies on new technologies.”
LOOP integrates Waras’s graphic language with cutting-edge technology, featuring a dynamic 360-degree projection and interactive installations created with artificial intelligence. This immersive environment responds to visitor movement, making it unique and engaging. The exhibition merges traditional artistic practices with contemporary digital tools, reflecting Waras’s deep engagement with pixel aesthetics, graffiti, and electronic music. The interactive elements of LOOP not only blur the lines between creator and viewer but also integrate their presence into the evolving narrative of the installation.
LOOP’s innovative technical and creative dimensions are the product of a skilled collaborative team. Radosław Deruba, an artist and motion designer, has crafted the immersive virtual world that forms the exhibition’s core. Patryk Chyliński, with his expertise in artificial intelligence, trained the AI using a rich collection of Mariusz Waras’s digitized artworks, enabling a generation of continuously evolving visuals. Gosha Savage, an electronic music producer, designed the soundscape, enhancing the interactive experience with his auditory compositions.
Curator Anna Szynwelska integrated these elements into the exhibition, a dynamic environment that reflects LOOP’s technological and artistic innovations. As celebrated by the situationists in the urban environment, here, there is a continuously shifting dialogue between art and audience, each affecting the visual vocabulary. By combining his established visual style with new media innovations, Waras is experimenting with an intersection of street art and digital art, possibly transforming and redefining both.
Here is our weekly interview with the streets, this week featuring Stikman, Blanco, Lexi Bella, Jerk Face, Modomatic, Savior El Mundo, RX Skulls, Humble, Klonism, RD357, Flaco, REKER, Sintex, and BOFA.
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
