This week BSA is proud to bring you news that we personally have invested a lot of time, effort, and dreams into – The opening of the Urban Nation Museum of Urban Contemporary Art in Berlin. As curators we have the privilege of introducing the work of artists to new audiences, and Urban Nation has given us a platform like none other to do just that over the past 3+ years. Join BSA as we celebrate the gathering of the graffiti/Street Art tribes for this grand inauguration. Welcome to your Urban Nation!

It’s a family reunion starting to happen here in Berlin, with artists, curators, ministers of art, wiseacres and former/current vandals from around the world in town for the opening next weekend of Urban Nation, a museum that will debut with about 140 new works from graffiti writers, Street Art, contemporary artists across five decades.

Isaac Cordal. Urban Nation Museum For Urban Contemporary Art. Berlin. September 2017. (photo © Jaime Roj0)

No one knows exactly what to expect and many questions are being posed about the inaugural show, the criterion for inclusion, what it all means for the so-called “scene” with this level of institutional acceptance, and where the museum itself plans to go in the future with programming and exhibitions.

While the museum is readying for this first show, the streets are being hit by new murals and installations by artists, off-site studios are buzzing with new sculptures to be placed, performers are rehearsing with screens, and pop-up satellite exhibition spaces are being painted, strung, flooded with lights.

2501 & Zio Ziegler. Urban Nation Museum For Urban Contemporary Art. Berlin. September 2017. (photo © Jaime Roj0)

Whatever becomes of it, this moment has been discussed and fought for and labored over and prepared for by many – hopefully and it gives voice to the hundreds, thousands of voices that aren’t here, but are in spirit, a meaningful signpost in the evolution of the global grassroots movement that has burst into a constellation of satellites around the world.

Just in the last couple of days we’ve seemingly bumped into Ron English, Isaac Cordal, Faith XLVII, Ben Frost, Bordalo II, Seth Globepainter, Hueman, Brad Downey, Hot Tea, James Bullough, Onur … and its only Monday, yo! A lot more to come this week!

Here are some fresh pieces that have just shown up here in Berlin.

1UP and Berlin Kidz side by side. Urban Nation Museum For Urban Contemporary Art. Berlin. September 2017. (photo © Jaime Roj0)

James Bullough. Process shot. Urban Nation Museum For Urban Contemporary Art. Berlin. September 2017. (photo © Jaime Roj0)

Berlin Kidz . 1UP. James Bullough. Process shot. Urban Nation Museum For Urban Contemporary Art. Berlin. September 2017. (photo © Jaime Roj0)

Urban Nation Museum For Urban Contemporary Art. Berlin. September 2017. (photo © Jaime Roj0)

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