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Urban Nation Brings US Street Art Icon to Berlin: Shepard Fairey Creates Spectacular Work of Art in Kreuzberg
“Make art not war” – Shepard Fairey’s artwork is pregnant with meaning. © Henrik Haven
Berlin, 22 September 2014
Ateliers, legendary cinemas, alternative bars – Kreuzberg is cool. Now, Berlin’s hip district has a new, extraordinary artwork: a gigantic red rose, its stem locked in a shackle, beneath the slogan “MAKE ART NOT WAR”. The large-scale mural was sprayed by no less than the US street art icon Shepard Fairey.
The painting is located right at the entrance to the U-Bahn station Hallesches Tor, Mehringplatz, at the beginning of Friedrichstraße. Nobody can pass it by without admiring it. Shepard Fairey consciously chose this district: “I was in Berlin for a few days in 2003. I have hardly ever seen so much graffiti in one place as in Kreuzberg. There is so much youth culture and energy to soak up – it was great working here and it certainly won’t be the last time.” Fairey said he did not just sense a great interest in street art in Kreuzberg, but also a lot of positive energy to create new art.
– – – Press contacts Inquiries regarding the artists: General media inquiries: Yasha Young Volker Hartig Fon: 0172 3125500 Fon: 030 4708-1521 [email protected] [email protected]
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Understanding the City, Shaping the City – Art for Berlin
The art event was initiated by the network Urban Nation, which sees itself as a platform for artists, projects and community. Urban Nation was created and the concept written by Yasha Young and funded by the urban housing society Gewobag, which views the street art platform as an integral part of its art and culture patronage. Urban Nation regularly invites local and international street artists to Berlin to redecorate urban spaces and to cement Berlin’s status as a creative, open city.
Shepard Fairey – from the Street to the White House
Shepard Fairey rose to fame in 2008 with an image that grabbed attention worldwide: a schematic portrait of Barack Obama on a background of the US colours, red, white and blue, with the word “HOPE” below. It turned Obama into a pop icon and made Shepard Fairey’s name well beyond the borders of America. “Probably the most important artist of the hip hop and post-punk generation” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) began the campaign without a commission before Obama had even been nominated presidential candidate. But his election team recognised the power of the picture and hired the street artist. The portrait of Obama now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington.
The street art activist also hopes to send a signal to the world with his artwork in Kreuzberg. “Yes, with all the chaos in the world, I think this picture is necessary,” says Fairey when asked whether the image refers to the many conflicts in the world today. “Because unfortunately,” he added, “people always needed to be reminded to aspire to the best side of their humanity.”
Fairey and his team spent a month planning of the artwork. Actually painting it took four days, during which the street art icon was helped by an assistant. The result is a message that will leave its mark on Kreuzberg.
New Mural Send a Signal of Peace and Hope
“The art action is another building block in our bid to help residents identify with their district and restore the place to its former beauty,” says Yasha Young, director of Urban Nation. She went on to say that unusual urban spaces, struggling areas and forgotten places attract attention through street art, which pays tribute to them and improves their image. “We are very proud to have secured the collaboration of an internationally renowned street artist for our network. Thanks to Fairey’s artwork, Kreuzberg will once again attract public attention and continue to unfold its undoubted potential for urban, social and spatial development.”
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Shepard Fairey spent four days painting his work – from a lifting platform. © Henrik Haven
We would be happy to send you more photos in print-quality resolution. Just send a mail to [email protected] or visit www.gewobag.de.
– – – About Urban Nation Urban Nation considers itself as a network and platform for artists, projects and neighbourly relations. The art form of street art is at the heart of Urban Nation. Since late2013, Urban Nation has regularly invited well-known international or local artists and curators of the urban art scene to Berlin, to artistically redesign and hence change urban spaces for the better. By means of workshops, events and exhibitions in a public, non-profit space, it promotes community, public participation andcreative exchange. The programme also includes social neighbourhood projects aimed at providing new, positive impetus to residential areas belonging to Gewobag. The program is run by Yasha Young, head of art and cultural management at Gewobag.
Urban Nation is backed by the urban housing society, Gewobag, which launched the project in 2013 and guaranteed long-term funding for it. With more than100,000 tenants, Gewobag has very close ties to Berlin.Promoting art and culture is one of the main stakes of the company’s philosophy.
About Yasha Young Yasha Young is responsible for Urban Nation; her creative vision of liveable urban spaces is the driving force behind the projects’ growth and development. Young began her career as an international gallery owner. She went on to become co-founder and director of Germany’s first interdisciplinary trade fair for young art and culture, “Blooom” in Cologne. As an internationally recognized curator and art expert, Young is deeply integrated and involved in the international contemporary art scene.