Graffiti is a kind of doodle art which evolved as a part of the Hip-Hop culture in New York in the 1970s. Graffiti usually appears in public bathrooms, public buildings or park rocks. Some of the words are dirty, others just names and political slogans. But more and more, graffiti has come to have a closer connection with art and fashion, with the artists expanding the art form from one single wall to a wider field. How does graffiti transition from vandalism to fine art? How do graffitists approach their work?

We have invited a world-famous graffiti artist to share the story in this smart Artists’ Talk Series.

*Reservations required.
From Tuesday to Friday 11:00-18:00 please call +86 10 5780 0200 to book. Please note that you can only book 1 seat at a time.
Members can also book by emailing: members@159.138.20.147 (Email bookings are reserved for UCCA members only.)

Guests:
Kongo (artist)
Tkid (artist)
Toast (artist)
Binho (artist)

Kongo, from Paris, is a self-taught painter who has established himself in just a dozen or so years as a leading figure of the French, European and world graffiti scene. His role in the legendary M.A.C. group has made him one of the major creators from the French graffiti scene in the past 20 years. Kongo has been involved in numerous cultural and artistic happenings, both at home and abroad. He is also the co-founder of the international graffiti festival in France, "Kosmopolite" and the traveling "Eatingfrogstour" in mainland China and Hong Kong. Kongo is best known for designing the Hermes x Kongo Silk Scarves for the Autumn/Winter 2011 collection of the famous French luxury brand, which were sold at retail locations across the world.

Tkid, one of the pioneers of graffiti, is a well known and much respected artist from the Bronx, New York. He started in the 1970s, tagging the name "King 13” every time he'd win a challenge. He later became the president of TNB (The Nasty Boyz) and ex-president of TVS (The Vamp Squad), one of the most notorious New York graffiti crews. He is also a member of MAC crew from Paris. He has an autobiography called The Nasty Terrible Tkid 170, and has also appeared in a documentary called "Bomb it" By Jon Reiss and was a character in a video game by Atari and Marc Ecko called “Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure”.

Toast is a prominent Swiss graffiti artist who widely influenced the international graffiti scene with his unique style. Originally having studied new media and graphic design, his career began in the early 1990’s. Toast is also founder and co-owner of the entertainment media corporation Atalier in Bern, Switzerland. His works have been exhibited in galleries, museums and public spaces from the US to China, with his works already part of notable collections such as that in the private apartment of Gunter Sachs inside the legendary castle at Lake Wörth, which he recently redesigned.

Binho, from Sao Paolo, is one of the biggest names in the street art world and a pioneer in Brazil and Latin America since 1984 who wins respect wherever he goes. His bold and passionate style has illustrated for big brands such as Nestlê, Ford's ad campaigns, Brazil Telecom, Motorola, Red Bull, Cirquit cow Parede, Nike, Skol, Ecko, Antarctica, Colorgin, and Bob Burniquist among others.

Partner: G-Dot Art Space

Sponsor: Mercedes-Benz Smart