Have you think would see The Global Street Art Odyssey? As Invader and Mr. Blue sneaked along an overgrown path, the squelchy ground beneath their feet gave them a sense that there were secrets below. It was Wednesday, July 3, 1:03 a.m., just past the eastern edge of Paris. What’s the plan? A concrete tower forty feet high that holds up a road overpass. This was where Invader’s next artistic attack took place.
The Global Street Art: Under the Shadow of Night
The two people parked their van close and hid it in the trees. The only sound that broke the silence was the rustling of trash beneath, like soda cans and potato chip bags. The great street artist Invader said in a whisper, “Flatten yourself against the wall if a car comes.” They planned every move very carefully because they were so excited about the task. It made them think of a bank robbery.
The Global Street Art: Acupuncture in cities: The Art of Invasion
Invader has been changing the look of towns around the world with his mosaic masterpieces for twenty-seven years. He has painted walls, bridges, tunnels, and sidewalks in 172 places in 32 countries. His unique works, which he calls “invaders,” show everything from flying bugs to cartoon figures, adding a fun touch to the city.
The Global Street Art: Graffiti meets workmanship from Mesopotamia
For Invader, 25 colors from the French tile company Émaux de Briare are used, which combine graffiti style with Mesopotamian materials. Because his books are so popular, he has had to come up with creative ways to keep thieves away. After baking the tiles and putting them in cold water, anyone who tries to take them off will find that they fall apart like cookies. Making new things and keeping old ones alive is a careful dance.
The Art of Accuracy: Acupuncture in Cities
Invader doesn’t do things like other street art like graffiti artists do, like make pieces and then look for places to put them. Instead, he makes custom pieces for specific places by carefully choosing nerve-triggering spots in the cities he sees. Because of how carefully he plans and carries out his method, it is called “urban acupuncture.” You have to press “pause” in a city and look for those times that stick with you.
Outside of the Streets Invasion
Millions of people are accidentally taking part in Invader’s global art show. Flash Invaders is a mobile reality game that about 350,000 people play. The goal of the game is to find and photograph his patterns. Some attackers are a nod to the old Space attackers game, while others are just inside jokes that need to be figured out. People walking by might see Chuck Berry duckwalking on Rue Duroc or aliens in hats that look like crabs in Versailles.
Coming in is a dangerous business.
A proud mayor of Paris has an Invader piece in her office, but a lot of Invader’s work is illegal in France because it is intended to cause damage. People who break the law can go to jail or pay a fine of up to €30,000. Because of this risk, Invader keeps his fake name and sometimes shows up in photos wearing a Salvador Dalí mask or ski goggles.
The Invader Way of Thinking
Invader is an artist, but he’s also a spy in the art world. His strict organization runs into a punk attitude that doesn’t follow the rules. Shepard Fairey says, “He’s always planning things out really well, but if something goes wrong, he doesn’t want to give up his spot.” He is obsessed with the art of invasion because he thinks the action is so beautiful.
A Projet Sans Fin: The Never-Ending Project
Invader is still more focused than ever on his art journey after 30 years. He moves forward because he carefully plans everything, is rebellious, and is dedicated to the art of attack. People all over the world are playing hide-and-seek or getting acupuncture in cities. Invader’s impact is growing, leaving a mosaic trail in the cities of the world.
