The one and only Montana Colors from Barcelona Spain’s visionary founder Jordi Rubio Rocabert has left the leading spray paint brand after 29 years. His contribution to the graffiti culture through the course of the quasi-three decades is immeasurable. If you jump to Montana’s website there is a letter written by himself. Thanks, Jordi.

Since 1956, calligraffiti in Chinese by Tsang Tsou-choi blossomed on ruined walls in Hong Kong as a protest against the loss of his motherland to the British. He carefully chose his canvas, only writing on government property. He continued his protests until the early 2000s and died in 2007 of a heart attack. In 2015, due to a strong rain, his letters which were previously buffed by the Hong Kong authorities resurfaced, catching instant attention of citizens who grew up with these letters of peaceful protest.
Writers will always be stronger than repression.

In Pompeii, Italian historians are excavating ancient ruins and graffiti are popping up everywhere. Here graffiti, means traditional inscribed writing (because the word graffiti comes from Italian graffiare, to scratch). The messages are as contemporary as they can get. For instance, “Rufio painted this”, “Satura was here on September 3rd”, “Cruel Lalagus, why do you not love me”, “ If you don´t believe in Venus, gaze at my girlfriend” and more. I guess the  graffiti and vandalism that is practiced today should be considered a contemporary adaptation of the traditional, better yet, an ancient form of art??

Recently in London, UK there was an exhibition of shutters painted by artists for the occasion. Could some gallery gather the actual pieces of old shutters off the streets with the writers’ tags and throwies? Now that would be even more cool!

The mother of graffiti, a living legend, the documentary photographer who spread to the world the graffiti hip hop movement: Martha Cooper. It wouldn’t be an overstatement if we said that nearly all the writers and street artists we know today do what they do thanks to her. In the 70s, a then insular underground movement was documented by her, which lead to co-publish (with Henry Chalfant) the graffiti bible: Subway Art.

Urban Spree in Berlin, Germany is the hub of urban creativity. Gallery, artists’ residencies, gift shop, foot court, concert hall and many temporary activities/ events take place. What happens in the 1700m² space is organic, independent spirited, and true. Admission is free so wander through the Urban Spree and get a taste of German urban art.

NY, the birth place of graffiti has an awesome attitude. A writer was tagging a water tower and the police deployed an entire army, OK not really but a dozen police officers to catch him. Followed by an hours-long stand off even a chopper was called in. The neighbours commented “So much police for such a trivial thing” and “Total misuse of police force”. The next day a lady even let the writer in her house so he could take a pic of the piece, adding “a nice touch for the neighbourhood”. Go NY!

A Banksy exhibition was called off as it didn’t contain enough authentic works of the artist. First of all, Banksy has stated that many exhibitions around the world are un-official without his consent.  Second, the exhibition had many recreations and due to the massive complaints by the visitors the organizers were cornered to refund them. Very funny. 

Another report on harm reduction for graffiti. In Massachusetts, USA, this so called Graffiti Alley which is about 24 m long is for free of use for all writers, except when the nearby shop is open and other certain hours. Making the wall a tourist landmark for people to visit to see the graffs and the writers at work. So cool and respectful!

Oh this is something new. According the Philadelphia Magazine, in the same city in USA, a couple had their engagement photos taken in an abandoned graffiti filled train. Too cool to be true!