Jad El Khoury: An Artist Grappling With A Society In Denial
At this year’s annual Arte Laguna Prize in Venice (Italy), Nuart’s Martyn Reed convened a Land Art/Urban Art panel intended to explore the growing pervasiveness of street art in creating “museums without walls.” Populated by professionals including Dr. Susan Hansen of Nuart, independent curator Simone Pallotta, and Mattias Givell of Wanas Konst, the discussion “[reflected], from different …
Book Review: Street Art Las Vegas
On April 12th, 2019 William Shea and Patrick Lai released their joint project Street Art Las Vegas. The book, published by local outfit Smallworks Press, outlines the intricacies of the city’s evolving street art scene. With special thanks given to entities like Las Vegas Arts District and City of Las Vegas, the pages burst with …
A Stunning Mural By Fintan Magee In Papeete, Tahiti
Australian street artist Fintan Magee recently traveled to Papeete, Tahiti to complete his newest mural “Strength of Memory”. The five-story project, found in French Polynesia’s capital city, was curated by ONO’U Tahiti, an organization that promotes public art on the island. ONO’U hosts a yearly graffiti festival and also hosts street art tours, in addition …
A Mini Mural By Axel Void On Family Unity in Havana
Last month, Haitian-American-Spanish street artist Alejandro Hugo Dorda Mevs Aka Axel Void completed a small-scale mural in Havana, Cuba. In a press release for the project, the artist explains, “this image is based on a still from a short film I am working on. The film is based on a family living in the neighborhood …
About This Town: A Mural By Artez In Madrid
March 3rd, 2019 concluded the third edition of Urvanity Art Fair, a relatively new urban art festival in Madrid, Spain. Urvanity’s manifesto emphasizes the importance of new trends in the manner with which art and cities interact, and the festival has dubbed itself “a platform for a New Contemporary Art.” Simultaneously though, Urvanity focuses on …
2 Murals By Dulk In Costa Rica
Continuing what has already proved an exciting year, Spanish muralist Antonio Segura Donat, also known as Dulk, marked his first forays into Costa Rica with two recent murals in Jacó. Both murals were curated by Artify Jaco, a local entity which organizes street art initiatives to beautify the city. Situated on Costa RIca’s West coast …
Legacy: A Mural By Dulk In Maui, Hawai’i for Seawalls
As polar temperatures plunged the nation into nearly unlivable tundra conditions, marine life in Hawai’i sprang to action with a frenzy seen only once a year. Humpback whales migrate to the area’s waters in droves for breeding season, which begins in January and crescendoes in February. To celebrate the momentous annual occasion, Spanish street artist …
Blek Le Rat Tours Texas and Tennessee
I am from coal country. Though I live in New York now, I still have a special affinity for middle American culture, for gas station with worn neon signs advertising showers for truckers. I swoon over cheap motels where couples likely rendezvoused in the seventies, and dive bars where smoking indoors is still legal. I …
Catching Up With Engy Al Garf, An Egyptian Artist based in NYC
I covered Engy Al Garf’s innovative heat map mural in Giza back in November, and impossibly drawn in by her thoughtful style, began following her career. When I learned through Instagram that she had recently moved to New York, I endeavored to meet the artist in person. She suggested the Upper East Side, an area …
Is Urban History Repeating Itself In Lynn, MA?
As a symbol of artistic authenticity, the popularity of street art has given rise to festivals around the world. Depending on who is putting the festival together, its purpose might range from “social-bonding [or] place-making, [to] place-marketing.” The power of street art extends beyond its provocative messages, as the addition of a large-scale, powerful mural …
Our Own Top 10 Murals Of 2018
Street art continued to take over the world in 2018, adorning cities around the globe with massive works of gigantic expression. As cultural revolutions change the way we consider economic, political and social systems, the most notable murals of the previous year found intuitive ways to express both dissent and hope. Beyond the art itself, …
“Let It Fly” By Artez In Izmir, Turkey
“The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself,” said John Wesley Powell, an American soldier, geologist, explorer and professor. Still, artists throughout history have continually sought to capture nature’s astounding beauty, perhaps paying tribute to the stunning gift it has provided us without expecting reciprocity. …