Gallery: Urban Art, Graffiti & Street Art Shows

As you maybe noticed, Brooklyn’s infamous collagist and urban artist Bäst is in London for his first solo exhibition called “Botulism”! Bäst, who has been part of the international street art scene for the last ten years, presents in that show new artworks, especially screen-printings, which are inspired by the early punk flyers of London and New York. Showing 21st Century icons and imagery from all types of media. The crazy thing about his very successful screen-printings is, that they don’t look like a screen-printing, but like real collages! I was highly impressed by that fact, the joke within his artworks and the small talk I had with him. ...

In addition to the exclusive prints by famous graffiti artist Roa, I was able to watch Bristol-based urban artist, street art veteran, graphic designer and illustrator Mr. Jago live-painting at the VNA release party at Pure Evil gallery. Jago is internationally well-know for its marvel-influenced, often abstract and chaotic style. In the past, BBC Blast did a nice interview with the smart man where he speaks about things inspiring him, his style and so on… ...

Readers of this urban art blog should already noticed the Skalitzers Gallery in Berlin, where for example the Cope2 and the Babou, L’Atlas, Sun7 and Tanc exhibitions took already place. Skalitzers is a new contemporary art gallery located in Berlin, with an international focus on new artists and art forms. (Skalitzers) Recently the “Finding Berlin” project visited the gallery and its owner to talk about graffiti and tagging culture in Berlin and of course about the idea behind Skalitzers. The final result is an nice, but unfortunately short video interview, including some interesting statements about the feeling on the streets in Berlin…I guess, when I’m back in Berlin I will pay a visit to corresponding tagging shop! ...

This weekend, the second edition of the “Public Provocations” graffiti art exhibition, which brings together A-list artist from around the globe, will open its doors at the Carhartt Gallery. 14 internationally well-known artists, including Delta, Mode2, Pisa73, Smash 137 and A1one, will present their interpretations of contemporary street art and graffiti. Walls, backyards and contemporary city landscapes are hardly imaginable without all kinds of artistic forms of expression. Through colours, shapes and conversion artists claim the public space to be their sphere of expression and not only of provocation. Over the years new techniques, materials and platforms found their use. Thereby the art work was more and more respected and finally found its way into the galleries. ...

Last Friday, the slightly different street art exhibition by urban artist 1010 opened in Berlin and presents really interesting, strange and minimalistic paper artworks. For about 15 years, 1010 is an active part in Germany’s street art scene. Therefore, the Hamburg-based artist is one of the last still active street art veterans. Although the media he uses ranges from wall paint to paste-ups and paper cuts, you can find similar elements in each of his artworks. ...

While stones and bottles were flying against policemen and thousands of young people party the Walpurgis Night in Berlin, the Skalitzers Gallery in Kreuzberg opened its doors for a great art show last Friday! Kiss the City shows amazing artworks by the four famous French urban artists Babou, L’Atlas, Sun7 and Tanc. With roots in tagging since the early 90s, it is the making of their mark that unites them. Working together since 2003, their works individually interpret the emotion, ambience, gesture and search for the master-stroke. (press release) ...

Some months ago, he was part of the “Aerosol Fumes” exhibition, which presented almost the best Berlin-based stencil artist and now he has his own exhibition at ATM Gallery in Berlin - Yes, I’m talking about Czarnobyl, who lives and works in Berlin since 1993! Well influenced by the craziness of cyberpunk, house squatting and graffiti, his detailed stencil artworks combine motives of cyborgs, alternative people, abstract patterns and other strange things… ...

Yesterday, Stefan Strumbel’s exhibition “Home Sweet Home” opened at Berlin’s Circleculture Gallery, which will run until June 10. Strumbel’s artwork series, which is part of that new art show, became very popular around the world, because of its great connection of traditional arts (like the cuckoo clocks handicraft) and modern spray-paint culture. He combines his own graffiti-background with craft accomplishments of his homeland. Added to that he found a creative and often funny way of dealing with the paradigms of “home” on an abstract level. ...

Yesterday I visited the new group show at Superplan Gallery in Berlin-Friedrichshain. 22 artists from seven countries (No, sorry there are only artworks by 21 artists, one work is still in London, because of the ban on flying caused by that ash cloud from Island…) present their interpretation of the exhibition’s motto “Keep Smiling, Loser!”. It was a nice evening. Once again I was impressed by Pisa73’s stencil art skills and Pabo’s and Base23’s great visual style, but also the artworks of the other participating artists, including BastiBasti, Devoner, Dust, Geso, Grapheart, Ink-A-Zoid and others, were really interesting. Additionally it’s the first exhibition of N8 Van Dyke in Germany… ...

Although I often visit gallery openings and exhibitions, it’s not primary because of the artworks! I like a lot more to just meet nice people and good friends, talk about new projects and more or less unknown artists and drink some beer. For me, art is a lot more interesting, when it’s in public space and not guarded by galleries or other institutions. That’s one reason why I like street and urban art and its urban contexts… ...