“THE URBAN ARTIST – paths from subcultural creativity to contemporary art”
A group show presented by Circleculture Gallery, Berlin

With Jaybo Monk, Aaron Rose, Christian Awe, Stohead, Jonathan Yeo, Katrin Fridriks, Anton Unai, Helle Mardahl, XOOOOX, Marco “PHO” Grassi, Stefan Strumbel, Kelsey Brookes, Marcel Walldorf, Kevin Earl Taylor, Various & Gould
Pop up space, Hamburg (St. Pauli)
09.06. – 14.06.2011

Press release:
“The Urban Artist is a travelling exhibition presenting a selection of progressive urban art from all over Europe and the US, exhibited in St. Pauli/ Hamburg from June, 9th-14th, 2011. This concept has been exposed at Soho House Berlin in early 2011 to more than 20.000 visitors. The team of the Urban Artist is happy to pop up in Hamburg now. Unveiling a very special location and brand new art works.

Since the turn of the millennium a new type of artist, the Urban Artist, has emerged. He has influenced the cultural scene as a creative thinker and leader of subcultural expressions taking on the role of album cover designer for progressive punk, electro or hip-hop bands, graffiti writing innovator, avant-garde fashion designer, or street art activist. Today these same urban artists have become indispensable to the world of contemporary art, as many more make the transition from applied arts to the field of fine art. In addition to the alternative forms of presentations such as that of city streets, they produce art works for galleries and museums who are increasingly putting together shows of urban inspired pieces.

Some urban artists have engaged with ideas in an academic context, while others celebrate international success as self-taught practitioners. What these artists have in common, however, is the prevalence of an attitude absent in the academies. They are brimming with innovative spirit and radicalism – employing differentiating concepts, aesthetics and techniques that can only be incurred by the exposure to a subcultural tradition. The most immediately obvious departure from a more classical practice is the illegal use of the streets as medium, mediator, and translator; providing the friction necessary to transform life experience into art.

The Urban Artist documents where Urban Art is heading today. As an exhibition the goal is to inform about this new movement by seeking for a dialogue with a public audience. The panel discussion related to the exhibition in Berlin highlighted a definition of Urban Art, its development and potential of progress for the future. It was led by Dr. Ilaria Hoppe (institute of art history at Humboldt Universität Berlin), the graffiti writer and artist Christian Awe and the curator of the exhibition Johann Haehling von Lanzenauer. The panel was moderated by Jan Kage (director of the collector-dialogues and moderator of the art section Arty at Motor FM). Listen to the audio file of the panel discussion.”