News | V A N D A L E A K

“Be Someone”

Houston, Texas’s iconic graffiti “Be Someone” that appeared in 2012 on the Union Pacific bridge to enter the city that greeted drivers may not be repainted anymore. In the past quasi-decade it has been painted over numerous times then turned back to the original “Be Someone” . However an anonymous announcement has been released thanking the supporters of the Be Someone bridge “Keep going, keep representing and go make a difference in your daily life. Go out there and do it for your own sanity, your own Joy and spread the love! Even if we don’t paint the bridge anymore we will still continue to put in work! 10 years of the Besomeone Bridge has been amazing.”.
The Houston landmark that inspired countless drivers might not come back but it will continue to live on.

Bloopers

ShXt happens. They literally do. Getting busted whilst spraying a throwie, falling off the ladder, bursting a full spray can in your face…and the list goes on forever. Hit “graffiti fails” and you will open a door to a whole new world of empathy. Writing bloopers happen to all of us, it’s part of the game, practice makes perfect. You are not alone 🙂

Vandalism for Paro Nacional

Colombia has a period called Paro Nacional (national strike) which initiated in 2019 where mass protests take place across the country in the name of anti- corruption, no to increasing taxes, better health care, improved working conditions, and to question how much power and influence the government is gaining. This year many graffiti writers and artists have backed these movements in cities such as in Cali, Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales and Pereira. Monumental works on pavements have been popping up alongside the enthusiasm of citizens of Columbia.

SURFACE FRIENDLY GRAFFITI

Aussie writer Sofles has been keeping him busy in times of a pandemic. He went “bombing” across the city of Brisbane with a projector tagging and writing some graffs digitally.
We’re assuming that that the authorities appreciated his kind gesture to not vandalize any buildings with real paint.

STICKERS

Stickers like “HELLO MY NAME” IS where you write your tag in the blank space (hey, look on the top left of your screen!) and other forms of writer personalized adhesive papers is a quick way to leave one’s mark. They’re normally found on the back of street signs, poles, electric boxes and more with smooth surfaces but not necessarily flat.

A crew of our times

1UP – One United Power is one of the most famous crews in our generation. They are based in Kreuzberg, Germany that has been active since 2003. Anonymous, book-breaking and organized, they are just what you need to be the perfect vandal. End-to-end trains (fully covered trains), heaven spots (places that are difficult to paint) and all those adrenalin pumping outdoor vandalism (and not only), you name it they’ve done it.

Tagging

Graffs to make Florence even nicer

How to embellish Florence’s kiosks? Turning them in a canvas for writers to draw picturesque paintings on their shutters. The project is finalizing just Period: presented by Florence’s newsstand labor union and selected under the announcement made by the tourism office to support works aimed to not only tourists but also citizens, with a co-financing of 10,000 euro a project. You can find the newsstands in Via Pellicceria, Piazza Duomo, Piazza Sant’Ambrogio, Piazza Alberti, Viale Righi, Piazza Piero della Francesca and Via Torcicoda. The graffs are focused on letters, the alphabet and words to narrate the importance of magazines, newspapers and means of communication. Using a scale of colors inspired by the city with the hands of Corn79, Reser LL, Luca font, Duke 1, Sera KNM. Bue2530 and Drote.

HACK THAT BULLET TRAIN!

Have you ever seen a vandalized train in Japan? The answer is almost never.
Punctual Japan, where train vandalism is literally non -existent, if you cause a delay you are entailed to pay millions of yen for indemnification. Hack vandalized a bullet train and paralyzed the notorious Japanese train system as they had to clean it up prior to its departure. Jesus, it ended up on national TV, newspapers and international new agencies! True story!

A message on the run

Vandalism on trees as a protest?

One of us

Not every knows that Czech Sampdoria’s midfielder Jakub Jankto is also an artist, who dedicates a big part of his time on his passion: “Ever since I was a boy I always played with a pen and paper. When I was 14 I painted graffiti, and I was a bit of a rebel. Me and some my friends would go around and draw on the walls in Prague. Then I was bixch-slapped by the police, my parents and my coaches. So my graffiti career practically ended there”. Jakub Jankto is one of us!

HACKING AND GRAFFITI’S MARRIAGE

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE!

Hacking and graffiti come together as website defacement, when a website is hacked and its appearance is altered illegally. Graffiti’s home city’s main transportation portal and mobile app were GRAFFITI HACKED! For a short period of time both platforms displayed a graffiti of a hacker/writer.

The new age of vandalism is at dawn.

Sources: https://www.spraydaily.com/defacement-graffiti-hacking/

A TRIBUTE TO PURE GRAFFITI

Graffiti is not dead.
When the world is going frenzy over installations and mural art in galleries and other legal public spaces funded by the government, these guys still go for the kick of tagging and graffiti: WCA. The abbreviation for We Can All, this Milan Italy based crew used to tagged across Europe. But after a thorough investigation by law enforcement of over 2 years two of the WCA’s crew gets busted for vandalism (2016).

At the begging of 2020, a follow up announcement was released and 11 members are at the verge of facing various criminal offense charges…

Sources:
https://www.vice.com/it/article/9bep77/arresto-wca-we-can-all-graffiti-milano
https://www.ilgiorno.it/milano/cronaca/writer-wca-droga-1.4974103

BANKSY VS KING ROBBO

While auction houses, museums and galleries are chasing after Banksy’s pieces does anybody remember the legendary Turf War between him and King Robbo?
Started off back in 2009 when King Robbo’s graffiti was adapted by Banksy. It went on even after it got buffed!

Banksy showcased a piece as a tribute to King Robbo in his Dismaland Theme Park Exhibition in 2015.

Source: LDN Graffiti

Art Leaks

Graff Leaks