Press Invitation
URBAN NATION A fresh lick of paint: street artists transform a Bülowstraße 97 10783 Berlin gloomy car park and a residential building into www.urban-nation.net surreal and original works of art
URBAN NATION brings international street artists to Berlin, to • redecorate two buildings.
• Highlight: Phlegm transforms a multi-storey car park in Schöneberg
into a machine.
• The two “One Wall” projects, to be completed in April and May, aim
to brush away the last grey shades of winter and breathe new life into Berlin’s façades. Stiftung Berliner Leben • Journalists are invited to witness the creation of the artworks live. Alt-Moabit 101 A 10559 Berlin www.stiftung-berliner-leben.de
Berlin, 24 April 2015 Contacts: The young Berlin street art network URBAN NATION (UN) breathes General media-related questions new life into dull Berlin façades: in April and May, two building Dr. Gabriele Mittag complexes – a multi-storey car park in Schöneberg and a residential Fon: 030 4708-1525 building in Prenzlauer Berg – will be transformed into works of art. UN Fax: 030 4708-1520 [email protected] invited international icons of street art specially to carry out the projects. Artist-related questions Yasha Young [email protected] First up is Phlegm. The British cartoonist, illustrator and steampunk proponent is known worldwide for his surreal, black and white creations, which seem to come from a different world. His focus is on the overwhelming power of machines over mankind. He will turn the car park at the corner of Alvenslebenstrasse and Kirchbachstrasse in Schöneberg, with all its nooks and crannies, into a machine in its own right.
Then, in early May, the artist duo Herakut will redesign the façade of the residential building in Greifswalderstrasse 87/88. The German artists Hera (Jasmin Siddiqui) and Akut (Falk Lehmann) joined forces to create the duo Herakut in 2004. Since then, they have realised numerous artistic projects in cities around the world, including Kathmandu, New York and Melbourne. Their works take the observer into an imaginary world of stories. “In Prenzlauer Berg, they will work with delicate powder and pastel colours to create a fantasy artwork that gets the observer thinking”, says Yasha Young, director of the URBAN NATION initiative.
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...... Invitation for Media Representatives
Be there live when these two giant murals are painted in Berlin!
Schöneberg: Phlegm, 28 April 2015, 2 pm, meeting place: car park at the corner of Alvenslebenstrasse and Kirchbachstrasse
Prenzlauer Berg: Herakut, 8 May 2015, 2 pm, meeting place: Greifswalderstrasse 87/88
Please register in advance at [email protected]. Further appointments can be arranged on request......
From ‘hood to ‘hood: Berlin as one giant outdoor gallery
The two projects are taking place under the title “One Wall”. “The idea behind One Wall is to transform selected walls in Berlin into works of art”, explains Yasha Young. Several times a year, new, eye-catching artworks are created for One Wall. In 2014, for example, UN brought the US-based street art icon Shepard Fairey, whose Obama portraits with the slogan “Hope” got global attention, to Kreuzberg. No less spectacular is the oversized, red-headed woman painted by the Dutch artist Handiedan in Bülowstrasse, Schöneberg.
All the façades chosen for the project are located at prominent or highly visible locations. Each image carries its own special message. The artists create their own individual work, which both represents themselves and addresses the immediate, alien surroundings. “They respond to a location, a social environment, and political events. One Wall – one message”, is how Yasha Young describes the curatorial idea behind the project in a nutshell. At the same time, the bright murals instil new, positive energy into neighbourhoods and generate fresh conversations between the residents.
“The next One Wall projects are already in the pipeline, Fintan is coming at the end of May”, reveals Yasha Young. The goal is to create an outdoor gallery stretching across all of Berlin – to be seen and experienced by all, free of charge.
Clicktipps www.urban-nation.net www.phlegmcomics.com www.herakut.de
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About URBAN NATION URBAN NATION is to be regarded as a platform for artists, projects and community. At the heart of it all is street art. Since late 2013, URBAN NATION has regularly invited international or local artists and curators from the urban art scene to Berlin, to decorate and artistically enhance urban spaces. With nonprofit workshops, events und exhibitions in public spaces, it promotes community, public participation and creative exchange. It is run by Yasha Young, director of Art, Culture and Social Network at Gewobag. URBAN NATION is an initiative of the foundation Berliner Leben. For more details visit www.urban-nation.net.
About the Foundation Berliner Leben By establishing the foundation Berliner Leben in 2013, the municipal housing company Gewobag took responsibility for continuous and sustainable community development in Berlin districts. The focus of the foundation’s work is on promoting equal participation and intercultural integration. Berliner Leben promotes art, culture and sport along with projects for children, teenagers and senior citizens. The foundation also supports individuals in difficult social situations. For more information about the foundation visit www.stiftung- berlinerleben.de.
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